Ballon d'Or : Messi or Iniesta?

[Pepe Silvia]

Messi. Easily.

 

[IbraFTW]

Since Ibra is, unjustly, not among top 3, it really should be Messi.

 

[FCBarca]

Even back in 2005 when Leo was still 18 and Ronaldinho picked up the Ballon D'Or, he acknowledged he wasn't even the best at Barcelona...alluding to you know who

“This award says I’m the best player in the world, but I’m not even the best player at Barcelona.”

 

[footyfan]

you people are forgetting that iniesta played an important role in spain retaining the euros and thus becoming the first team in history to win euro cup, world cup, and euro cup consecutively. that should not be taken lightly. plus he is having a phenomenal year and is the best in the world at his position. i think he does have a shot to win it above messi.

He has a shot only if people are tired of voting for Messi or actively want to recognize someone other than Messi.

He has been OK this year, nowhere close to Messi though. A stop-start year with some injuries and with being benched too (something he has alluded to in one of his interviews) He has the Euros going for him but I don't see how he deserves to win it this year over Pirlo, let alone Messi. I could use the exact same arguments that you're using for Iniesta if I talk about Pirlo.

Best in his position - check
Phenomenal year - check
Phenomenal Euro performance - check

In addition:
League title - check
Unbeaten season - check
League Player of the Year - check

Like some people have pointed out, it would be an injustice if Messi doesn't win it. One of the best individual seasons ever not worthy enough to win the award for best individual player? You gotta remember what you're voting for.

 

[Sultan]

A win for either is a win for the other.

 

[poldep]

A win for either is a win for the other.

Agreed! It would be great for Andres to win it.
Just imagine the look on Cr7's face if one of our guys wins the award again. This is just going to be priceless..

 

[desoe]

Agreed! It would be great for Andres to win it.
Just imagine the look on Cr7's face if one of our guys wins the award again. This is just going to be priceless..

Ronaldo won't attend the ceremony, if he's not a winner. Just like he did last year.

 

[Deco 20]

He has a shot only if people are tired of voting for Messi or actively want to recognize someone other than Messi.

He has been OK this year, nowhere close to Messi though. A stop-start year with some injuries and with being benched too (something he has alluded to in one of his interviews) He has the Euros going for him but I don't see how he deserves to win it this year over Pirlo, let alone Messi. I could use the exact same arguments that you're using for Iniesta if I talk about Pirlo.

Best in his position - check
Phenomenal year - check
Phenomenal Euro performance - check

*cough* *cough*

 

[PearLBLacK]

Pirlo of last year was better than Xavi of last year. Xavi is definitely the greater player overall, but that wasn't the case last year. So, yeah Pirlo was the best in his position.

 

[Aryagorn]

Pirlo does deserve it more than Iniesta...

Since he isn't even nominated, it should be Messi ahead of every one by quite some distance.

My top 5 would be Messi, Pirlo, Zlatan, Iniesta and Falcao.
CR7 not in the list not because he plays for Real but because it wouldn't really have mattered for Real had he been out injured/unavailable for some reason for the whole season.
On the other hand Messi's stats, Pirlo's exploits in resurrecting Juventus & Italy, Zlatan and Iniesta's magic(for both club and country) and Falcao's sheer brilliance with Atletico deserve better credit than CR7's IMHO. And we all know Messi hasn't been just the stats!!

 

[UberNjufer]

Pirlo does deserve it more than Iniesta...

Since he isn't even nominated, it should be Messi ahead of every one by quite some distance.

My top 5 would be Messi, Pirlo, Zlatan, Iniesta and Falcao.
CR7 not in the list not because he plays for Real but because it wouldn't really have mattered for Real had he been out injured/unavailable for some reason for the whole season.
On the other hand Messi's stats, Pirlo's exploits in resurrecting Juventus & Italy, Zlatan and Iniesta's magic(for both club and country) and Falcao's sheer brilliance with Atletico deserve better credit than CR7's IMHO

no he doesn't,pirlo played well in EC but he was nowhere near iniesta

 

[Aryagorn]

no he doesn't,pirlo played well in EC but he was nowhere near iniesta

Iniesta really was no where to be found for Barcelona last season... He was out injured most of the times and even when he did play he failed to bring out the best of him. When I said Iniesta been great for both club and country I meant the on-going season

 

[PearLBLacK]

no he doesn't,pirlo played well in EC but he was nowhere near iniesta

The 2nd half of last season (the first half of this year), Pirlo was definitely much better than Iniesta. More consistent too, although I guess Iniesta was injured part of it? And as for the Euros, I'd give them a tie, Iniesta was magical with Spain, yet Pirlo was the keystone of Italy's campaign to the final. So far this season they've both been amazing. Don't see how Pirlo is "nowhere near Iniesta."

 

[Deco 20]

The 2nd half of last season (the first half of this year), Pirlo was definitely much better than Iniesta. More consistent too, although I guess Iniesta was injured part of it? And as for the Euros, I'd give them a tie, Iniesta was magical with Spain, yet Pirlo was the keystone of Italy's campaign to the final. So far this season they've both been amazing. Don't see how Pirlo is "nowhere near Iniesta."

Well, Pirlo hasn't been that good so far this season (+ Pirlo was far from alone in the Italy team (De Rossi, Barzagli, Buffon etc come to mind))

Pirlo of last year was better than Xavi of last year. Xavi is definitely the greater player overall, but that wasn't the case last year. So, yeah Pirlo was the best in his position.

I agree

 

[PearLBLacK]

Not as consistent or up to his standards, but good nonetheless. I hope he'll at least be in top-5 when they announce in January.