Messi Ballon D’Or #6 Showoff

[fadster]

Originally Posted by 11eleven11

Is this Messi first Champions League trading card ?!?



Thanks in advance

Kind of, it's a TCG, hence the generic back and the scores on the front. Around that time a lot of Panini's football card output was TCG-ish but some of it was quite nice, the 2007-08 collection is one of the best looking.

[11eleven11]

Originally Posted by fadster

Kind of, it's a TCG, hence the generic back and the scores on the front. Around that time a lot of Panini's football card output was TCG-ish but some of it was quite nice, the 2007-08 collection is one of the best looking.

Thanks for the info much appreciated

[Anish]

A timely addition!

2011 Panini FCB Balon D’Oro by Anish Cards, on Flickr

[Anish]

Big addition - 2017 Chrome Gold Jersey Number 10/50

2017 Chrome Gold Jersey Number F by Anish Cards, on Flickr

2017 Chrome Gold Jersey Number B by Anish Cards, on Flickr

[KhalDrogo]

[Anish]

Nice Galactic

[MonsterTruck20]

I think Messi being voted the world's best footballer in 2023 after guiding PSG and Inter Miami to unprecedented successes deserves another showoff!

[YayNJ]

Congrats Lionel, in 2024 for winning the 2023 award for successes achieved in 2022!

[Ianhatcher]

What a joke,. They have made a mockery of the awards and his career by just handing him awards for just showing up. It's made the most prestigious Individual awards in the world Participation Trophies.

[fadster]

In the breakdown I saw, the coaches and journalists voted for Haaland but the fans and players bizarrely voted for Messi. What I also don't get is that Rodri didn't make the FIFPRO 11 yet he finished ahead of both of Bernardo Silva and Jude Bellingham in the voting, coming 6th overall.

[pregra]

There are different voters for FIFPRO 11 and the individual awards.

FIFPRO 11 = all professional footballers around the world, over 20 000 players vote
Individual awards = NT captains & coaches, media (1 journalist per FIFA nation), online fan vote

Messi shouldn't have won this - the problem here is that the voters don't read the rules; they obviously thought WC was a part of the timeframe, which it wasn't. Then again, no matter what he does in a given year, he will always get votes - most players adore him.

[pregra]

Originally Posted by Ianhatcher

What a joke,. They have made a mockery of the awards and his career by just handing him awards for just showing up. It's made the most prestigious Individual awards in the world Participation Trophies.

This is the only one he didn't deserve. Karma for the farcical 5th place he got in Ballon d'Or 2018. Also, cry some more.

[YayNJ]

Originally Posted by pregra

Messi shouldn't have won this - the problem here is that the voters don't read the rules; they obviously thought WC was a part of the timeframe, which it wasn't.

Don't be daft - the reality is, the internet has created an absolute army of freaks that will attack and swarm anything to do with Lionel Messi.

Taylor Swift has one, BTS has one.

It's cultism, at it's very core - way beyond being a 'fan'.

[kyleuk21]

If Haaland did anything in any of the big matches, he would have won more votes from the players. OR if Norway did anything whatsoever in intl competition, he would have won. Haaland will always be behind the 8-ball when it comes to these big awards because his country team is terrible and he isn't the type of player that can elevate an entire squad like Mbappe and Messi can.

It may be a hot take and considered stupid, but I don't even think Haaland was a top 2 player on his own team. I think KDB and Rodri were both more important than Haaland when it comes to winning or losing.

[YayNJ]

Originally Posted by kyleuk21

If Haaland did anything in any of the big matches, he would have won more votes from the players. OR if Norway did anything whatsoever in intl competition, he would have won. Haaland will always be behind the 8-ball when it comes to these big awards because his country team is terrible and he isn't the type of player that can elevate an entire squad like Mbappe and Messi can.

It may be a hot take and considered stupid, but I don't even think Haaland was a top 2 player on his own team. I think KDB and Rodri were both more important than Haaland when it comes to winning or losing.

Leagues and cup competitions are marathons, not sprints, and most of all a team effort.

I'm from a family of professional footballers and have been around plenty in my time and I don't think any will be thinking 'well, if Haaland had scored one of his 52 goals in ____ match, he'd have got my vote, I'm afraid I'm going to have to give him a pass, and vote for Messi from 2022 instead lol' they will have voted for Messi largely for the same reasons as the fans - they are fans themselves.

Messi will win stuff as long as he's playing, no matter how he performs.

When he retires, they will create awards for him to win then too.

[kyleuk21]

Originally Posted by YayNJ

Leagues and cup competitions are marathons, not sprints, and most of all a team effort.

I'm from a family of professional footballers and have been around plenty in my time and I don't think any will be thinking 'well, if Haaland had scored one of his 52 goals in ____ match, he'd have got my vote, I'm afraid I'm going to have to give him a pass, and vote for Messi from 2022 instead lol' they will have voted for Messi largely for the same reasons as the fans - they are fans themselves.

Messi will win stuff as long as he's playing, no matter how he performs.

When he retires, they will create awards for him to win then too.

We can't pretend that not performing in the spotlight matches doesn't matter. Everyone knows it does. That is true for every sport. Not saying it's right or wrong - just saying it's a fact. Barry Bonds in the playoffs, Messi in the world cup knockout stages (until this last one of course), etc.

Adding that on top of Norway being pathetic and KDB/Rodri being the backbone of City's team and he garners less votes. It's not hard to comprehend and it's not all that unreasonable either. If it was, so many team captains wouldn't have given Messi their vote. It's funny to see that Real Madrid players are essentially responsible for the award going to Messi.

[YayNJ]

I wouldn't really go as far as to describe Norway as 'Pathetic', they are a very good team that will likely never upset the likes of France, Spain, England, Germany, Portugal and Italy on a regular basis, but punch above their weight considering their size and disadvantages they have due to their climate.

It's got a population of 5 million people, half the size of Israel.

The fascination that a player has to win the World Cup or Champions League has to stop.. especially in this day and age when the quality of the top leagues is regularly higher than these 'elite' competitions outside a handful of matches. To be fair, it's always been the case - but back in the day surprises and the unknown from different continents/countries could win matches. Not so much these days, not since the early 90's.

[kyleuk21]

Originally Posted by YayNJ

I wouldn't really go as far as to describe Norway as 'Pathetic', they are a very good team that will likely never upset the likes of France, Spain, England, Germany, Portugal and Italy on a regular basis, but punch above their weight considering their size and disadvantages they have due to their climate.

It's got a population of 5 million people, half the size of Israel.

The fascination that a player has to win the World Cup or Champions League has to stop.. especially in this day and age when the quality of the top leagues is regularly higher than these 'elite' competitions outside a handful of matches. To be fair, it's always been the case - but back in the day surprises and the unknown from different continents/countries could win matches. Not so much these days, not since the early 90's.

I don't disagree. I prefer the "body of work" vs "big matches only" mindset personally. But that will never change. There will be voters on both sides. To win them over to be voted the best player, you have to perform like the best player when in big matches - or at least in some of them. You can't fall into the shadows in basically all of them like Haaland did.

Regarding "pathetic", that was meant to communicate a below average team compared to the rest of the teams in the world which is an unfortunate fact. Yes, they are small, but Croatia is smaller and has been among the best for many years now. Norway can't even qualify for the Euros despite having some big players. That can't be described as anything but a significant disappointment.

I want to see Haaland elevate Norway, though. And I want him to become a big game player as well. I want to see the rising superstars succeed. It’s good for the game.

[YayNJ]

Originally Posted by kyleuk21

. Yes, they are small, but Croatia is smaller and has been among the best for many years now. Norway can't even qualify for the Euros despite having some big players. That can't be described as anything but a significant disappointment.

Not quite as simple really to compare them to Croatia. Up until 1992 they were still part of Yugoslavia, which had a healthy 25 million people, had a huge Italian influence, and were absolutely bonkers about football. They were often called 'The Brazil of Europe'.

Both Croatia and Serbia have come away and done very well and both have spent money and time on youth development on top of what was already in abundance in Yugoslavia.

It was only fairly recently that Norway had a bit of a football revolution. The Norsk Toppfotball group got together and made wholesale changes to the game at all levels - very much like Belgium did. They revamped the youth game in the country Academies have been built, a new youth football set-up established and they even changed the transfer rules to make it easier for young Norwegian players to go abroad.

Norway expects to see the fruits of it by 2030 apparently, and we're already getting a peek in players like Odegaard, Haaland, Berge, Nusa and I guess now, Bobb at Man City.

[kyleuk21]

Originally Posted by YayNJ

Not quite as simple really to compare them to Croatia. Up until 1992 they were still part of Yugoslavia, which had a healthy 25 million people, had a huge Italian influence, and were absolutely bonkers about football. They were often called 'The Brazil of Europe'.

Both Croatia and Serbia have come away and done very well and both have spent money and time on youth development on top of what was already in abundance in Yugoslavia.

It was only fairly recently that Norway had a bit of a football revolution. The Norsk Toppfotball group got together and made wholesale changes to the game at all levels - very much like Belgium did. They revamped the youth game in the country Academies have been built, a new youth football set-up established and they even changed the transfer rules to make it easier for young Norwegian players to go abroad.

Norway expects to see the fruits of it by 2030 apparently, and we're already getting a peek in players like Odegaard, Haaland, Berge, Nusa and I guess now, Bobb at Man City.

That all makes sense. But it doesn't negate the initial point made that they are simply not good today and that will hang over Haaland's head. If the national team sucks, he has to perform in meaningful matches with City to win over voters. Otherwise, he will be viewed as "only as good as KDB makes him" in the eyes of some. That's not how I would describe him, but some will and it's not that unreasonable.

[KhalDrogo]

[Gin&Juice]

You've been crushing the Messi reds of late. Congrats.

[KhalDrogo]

Originally Posted by Gin&Juice

You've been crushing the Messi reds of late. Congrats.

Wish I had more! A 2017 Red one day in the future.

[kingb22]

There's probably another thread we can use, but curious of people's thoughts on this season's frontrunners. Obviously Messi and Ronaldo out. Haaland was hurt for a while. At this point I'd argue Jude Bellingham SHOULD be the leader, but now he'll be out for a bit too. Seems pretty open!