i see how my old rankings are so bad and want it to change the top 5 1. Vinicius Jr 2. Kylian Mbappe 3. Jude Bellingham 4. Rodri 5. Florian Wirtz im still not including the euro and copa america till they ends Vini showed himself against Paraguay why he is the best in the world I believe Mbappe gonna carry the offensive side of France once again Bellingham is unlucky because his coach is bumgate (even tho, he had a very good first game)
My candidates for the Ballon d'Or were Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Florian Wirtz. With the eliminations of Germany and Brazil, I think it all comes down to English.and the French, with a clear advantage for the latter already who had a better season in general terms. Only if Mbappé manages to be a figure in these last 2 Euro games and win the championship with the French team, could he aspire to win the award for best footballer of the 2023-24 season
I was and still am of the Bellingham > Vinicius camp but let's be honest here; Bellingham wasn't that great in the latter stages of the Champions League. Maybe a bit worse in the second half of the season in general. In the Euros he doesn't look like a Ballon d'Or type of player. He looks worse than Zidane at euro 1996 or Van Basten at euro 1992. Bellingham getting it is (also) the power of propaganda and marketing, while 'we' in 2010 and 2019 had the lobbying, bribery and gamesmanship apparatus against us. A rigged award. Haaland was more deserving in 2023 but didn't get it.
Not to forget Lewandowski of course. Had maybe/probably deserved twice in a row, but also lost out. Polish is a relatively small language, with about 42 million speakers in the world. Fair to say he was a more deserving winner than Bellingham for this season (especially: this year). Vinicius less so than Bellingham, in my honest view, from all I have seen passing by.
Review of the season from World Soccer England Team of the season: Pickford; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Udogie; Rodri, Rice; Palmer, Foden; Watkins, Haaland POTY: Foden Newcomer: Mainoo Spain Team of the season: Simon; Carvajal, Rudiger, Vivian, Gutierrez; Kroos; Isco, Bellingham, Savio; Dovbyk, Vinicius POTY: Bellingham Newcomer: Bellingham Germany Team of the season: Kobel; Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba; Frimpong, Stiller, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Wirtz, Kane; Fuhrich POTY: Xhaka Newcomer: Larsson Italy Team of the season: De Gregorio; Bremer, Bastoni, Calafiori; Bellanova, Ferguson, Koopmeiners, Dimarco; Calhanoglu; Zirkzee, Martinex POTY: Martinez Newcomer: Thuram France Team of the season: Bulka; Singo, Todibo, Yoro, Locko; Lees-Melou, Vitinha; Zhegrova, Golovin, Mbappe; Aubameyang POTY: Lees-Melou Newcomer: Singo
Portugal Team of the season: Velho; Rodrigo Gomes, Coates, Otavio, Nuno Santos; Joao Neves, Hjulmand; Di Maria, Pote; Gyokeres, Mujica POTY: Gyokeres Newcomer: Hjulmand Netherlands Team of the season: Unnerstall; Geertruida, Schouten, Hancko, Dest; Wieffer, Veerman, Chery; Pavlidis, L de Jong, Tillman POTY: Schouten Newcomer: Tillman
Nico Williams also? Cause youre only saying this because of the euros. What about Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo? They also deserve 5th place?
Yamal is better than all of them, and he had a good season at barca as well especially in big games. But I'm familiar with your barca agenda lol
At least Olmo and Ruiz won something in the club season. Both had a good season also and were better than Yamal at the euro (SofaScore and press ratings support this)
1. Jude Bellingham (eng) 2. Vinicius Jr (bra) 3. Kylian Mbappe (fra) Sommer Frimpong Saliba Rudiger Grimaldo Kroos Rodri Bellingham Wirtz Mbappe Vinicius
Okay, Argentina won the Copa America again. Against a Colombia that finished first in their group, ahead of Brazil Just like 2021 (evidence here and here) it seems Messi did again very little in the final. This time out early with injury (?). Third lowest rating of the starting XI, lower as two Argentine substitutes. Yes, great player that Messi but this is also football and merits a note. And again underlines why I am not convinced by "he won five Champions Leagues" (if you're 20+ games unbeaten and 27+ away games unbeaten then there is a conversation) and "only captain to win the trophy" sort of reasoning for other players. Why this was again held in the USA, like 2016.... I don't get it and you'd almost think the competition cannot be held serious because of that.
'He won something' does not work for me. Nico Williams was at least as good as Yamal this euros. His opposite on the other wing. Nico was in the same class. Laudrup 1984 > Yamal 2024 (with some exeggeration). The political, lobbying and marketing machines are again working at full speed here.
This looks about right. The only thing I would change for sure is Carvajal instead of Frimpong. And I am not sure about Sommer. Otherwise, solid picks.
Yes, let's freeze all our players out, as usual (FFT, Independent for modern players) just like your own great dribblers list. Bump up the Germans, French, English, Spaniards, Brazilians. With really not so clear inclusions like Wirtz and Kroos. Sommer is a deserved pick. Like in almost all seasons since 1960, there isn't a clear #1 goalkeeper really. Just as with defenders, there is only sporadically a clear stand-out, ahead of the pack (imho, Van Dijk has still 80% of the arguments and evidence going for him; not going for him is the goals conceded record for Liverpool). Sommer is certainly in that top group and finally a Swiss who makes it.
Including Frimpong as a right-back in a back 4 is basically cheating. He’s a winger. Have a look at his heat map this season. He’s just not comparable to any other right-back.
Yes, that's fair I think. He is not defensively useless, lazy or weak and he was generally seen as the best "right-back" of the league the two prior seasons too (VDV, Opta Analyst etc) but this comment is fair. Grimaldo is I guess also something to that direction (yet, he is kept in).
This Argentina side just equalled Spain's feat between 08 and 12 winning two copas and 1 WC between 21 and 24. Has to be said that Dibu Martinez were golden glove in all the 3 tournaments. "But, but, Messi singlehandedly carried them to the world cup" lol
This is for 2023-24 but I agree. More like that all the penalties awarded and the illnesses for France, Netherlands carried them to the World Cup. They got very valuable penalties, with the game still open, at the last three KO games and then also the crucial first two group stage matches. Statistically it means there is 75%-85% chance you win the game, for teams without peak-Messi or without Mbappe. Messi is still an excellent player at 37 but this has to be seen.