Who will win the 2018 Ballon d'Or?

[DonAK]

Wait, which format do you prefer ? (that's a serious question, not sure I understood your post correctly).

Because sports journalism is far from perfect, but iirc the voters for the BO are from the most "serious" papers/websites in every country usually. France Football for example is not the most interesting paper in the world, but it's not a tabloid at all, and it's rather serious. On the other hand, I don't really think that NT captains necessarily watch more football than sports journalists. The most obvious flaw in that system (FIFA POTY) was that you could clearly see how biased some votes were. Ronaldo and Messi never voted for one another (shocking, I know right ?). Spain captain would vote for Ronaldo if he was a RM player, and for Messi if he was a Barca player, but never for both at the same time (Casillas voted Ronaldo, Ramos and Müller in 2014). Almost every NT captain voted for at least one of his teammate when given the opportunity (in 2014, Van Persie voted for Robben, Kompany voted for both Courtois and Hazard, Low and Schweinsteiger ONLY voted for german players...). Not gonna go through all the votes, go check them if you want to, but on many captains/coaches you can clearly see how they just played favorites (Portugal coach didn't vote for Messi, Ronaldo and Deschamps voted for Benzema, Martino only voted for argentinian players...). Of course it can also happen with journalists, but believe me, it's way less common.

This format with journalists from selectecd newspaper only.

The last format was ridiculous. I remember the Norwegian NT coach voting for Varane a couple of years ago or some shit which was just absurd.

 

[Sorin]

Maybe Ronaldo isn't in the shortlist because the powers that be don't want him taking a 6-5 lead on Messi? Messi is the darling of the football world.

Daily brain dead Redcafe comment. The powers that reopened the voting after Cristiano's matches against Sweden in 2013 in a year that he won shit squat while Bayern completed a treble and Barcelona took another dump on Madrid again. If only Messi had CRonaldo's PR machine behind him he'd already be at 7-3 or something like that.

OT: Modric will win it and I don't have a problem with it. He's not the best player by a long shot but other than Messi neither are the others so whatever.

 

[Vilarrubi]

Daily brain dead Redcafe comment. The powers that reopened the voting after Cristiano's matches against Sweden in 2013 in a year that he won shit squat while Bayern completed a treble and Barcelona took another dump on Madrid again. If only Messi had CRonaldo's PR machine behind him he'd already be at 7-3 or something like that.

OT: Modric will win it and I don't have a problem with it. He's not the best player by a long shot but other than Messi neither are the others so whatever.

Awwwww bless them. For United fans holding onto the fact that they used to have Ronaldo in their team and that they think he's better than Messi is their only way of easing the pain of 2009 and 2011. Bless.

 

[Sorin]

Awwwww bless them. For United fans holding onto the fact that they used to have Ronaldo in their team and that they think he's better than Messi is their only way of easing the pain of 2009 and 2011. Bless.

They weren't even close to the trophies in those years so I really don't see what they have to be salty about. It's not like we nicked the 2 CLs from under their nose. We thoroughly outplayed them in both instances. CRonaldo was a passenger in that 2009 final too and left them in the same summer after bitching for more than a year that RM was his dream. Cuckolded fans, I tell you.

 

[Givenchy]

Daily brain dead Redcafe comment. The powers that reopened the voting after Cristiano's matches against Sweden in 2013 in a year that he won shit squat while Bayern completed a treble and Barcelona took another dump on Madrid again. If only Messi had CRonaldo's PR machine behind him he'd already be at 7-3 or something like that.

OT: Modric will win it and I don't have a problem with it. He's not the best player by a long shot but other than Messi neither are the others so whatever.

ah redcafe. a now mid-table teams forum throwing stones at the kings throne. as if those demolitions in the 2 CL finals weren't enough. they are so damn bitter it makes me laugh when they call Liverpool the bitter ones.

 

[Sorin]

ah redcafe. a now mid-table teams forum throwing stones at the kings throne. as if those demolitions in the 2 CL finals weren't enough. they are so damn bitter it makes me laugh when they call Liverpool the bitter ones.

Shh, some of them still think they are the greatest football club in the world when they haven't been even once in their entire history. Deluded.

 

[Givenchy]

Shh, some of them still think they are the greatest football club in the world when they haven't been even once in their entire history. Deluded.

meh I used to actually like that forum, during the buildup to the 2009 final they had some level headed posters (and that was when Ronaldo was their player!) these days they seem to cling on to his glory as they have none of their own. probably for another thread but you should see their 'general' section.. its like planet SJW, posters vying for that white knight title

 

[Sorin]

meh I used to actually like that forum, during the buildup to the 2009 final they had some level headed posters (and that was when Ronaldo was their player!) these days they seem to cling on to his glory as they have none of their own. probably for another thread but you should see their 'general' section.. its like planet SJW, posters vying for that white knight title

I only follow their football section since it's a football related forum first and foremost. From what I've seen they have good posters too, like every other football forum really. But the vocal brain dead ones immediately pop out with some of the most baffling takes on football that are bordering on crass idiocy. They are the ones that are following PL only and the odd CL game here and there and then come with statistics to argue who the better team or player is. For example, few know what a carry job Messi did in 2017 when we lost the title to Madrid for 3 points. Constantly bailing us with goals and out of this world passes only to be let down again and again by Neymar, Suarez and Enrique. Nope, they only see that we came second so Messi was mediocre.

 

[gasgas]

Well they are not at all different from barca fans who post here.
They just represent the general state of people in the world today.
So they are the norm not the exception

 

[messi15478]

If Modric win the Ballon Dor I will leave the forum.

 

[DonAK]

If Modric win the Ballon Dor I will leave the forum.

Let's hope you keep your word.

 

[Gaunter O Dimm]

There's no real stand out player this year, Modric will win because people have been tricked into thinking he's better than what he is, journalists favorite player. Mbappe should win but won't.

 

[Joan]

Varane. Who else?

 

[Morten]

Im going to laugh so hard when i see Modric and Varane at the top 3 ceremony.

 

[mc_lovin]

Im still shocked seeing Varanes name tossed around... hes pretty good, even world class, but hardly an all time great. Juts more proof that its not an individual award.