FIVE OF THE BEST
“WHY MESSI DIDN’T DESERVE TO WIN
FOUR TIMES IN A ROW”
1. Xavi and Iniesta have been integral parts of Barcelona’s run of multiple league trophies, domestic and European Cup successes while also leading Spain to two European Championship trophies and a World Cup. What more can either of them do to deserve a World Player of the Year trophy?? Yes, Messi scored 91 goals in 2012 and deservedly won out, but he has not scored 91 goals in each of 2011, 2010 and 2009. Let’s look at the World Cup Years of 1998, 2002 and 2006. Fabio Cannavaro won World Player of the Year in 2006 based primarily on Italy’s winning of the World Cup. In 2002, Brazlilan Ronaldo won the award based on Brazil’s winning of the 02 World Cup. In 1998, French midfield wizard Zidane won the award due to France being crowned World Champions during that year.
2. The English Premier League (while in recent decline) has been the best European League in terms of European success during the recent 4 year period. So why have no players from the English Premier League been rewarded for their European club successes with a World Player of the year award like Christiano Ronaldo received following Manchester United’s previous UEFA Champions League triumph?
3. The stats are clear at club level in that there is a greater chance of Barcelona losing a game when Iniesta is absent from the team than when Messi is missing from the line-up. So if the World Player of the Year award is designed to name a soccer player as the most valuable to his team then it is clear that for both club and country, Iniesta is more valuable to Barcelona and an integral part of the European and World champion Spanish national team.
4. Messi has underperformed in World Cups. How are you the best soccer player in the World for four years running, but every four years you continuously underperform at the premier event of the sport. It’s like saying Michael Jordan was the best basketball player ever even if he never won a NBA Championship. Claims for greatness are made by sportsmen who perform on the greatest stage.
5. Christiano Ronaldo does not deserve to be ignored by the World Player of the Year voters for four consecutive years. Yes, he is a drama-queen. Yes, he is not everyone’s cup of Rooibos tea. But what cannot be denied is that during the last four years there have been lengthy periods in which CR7 has outperformed Messi only to see the Argentinian walk away with the World Player of the Year award at the end of the year. More curiously, Ronaldo was voted best player in the Spanish League for the 2011/12 season, yet Messi won the World Player of the Year trophy. Seemingly, Messi is the best soccer player on the planet, but not the best player in the football league where plays week in and week out. The ignoring of Ronaldo is most evident when Ronaldo broke the Spanish League goals per season record in 2010, yet Messi received the World Player of the Year award based on Barcelona’s success during that year. This year it was Ronaldo holding the league trophy and Messi breaking goal scoring records, yet the argument was turned upside down and Ronaldo was ignored due to Messi’s individual stats which contributed nought to his club’s trophy cabinet and in spite of Ronaldo’s Real Madrid outdoing Barcelona in winning a Spanish league trophy.
