A surprise that is not really one. Argentina's Lionel Messi won his sixth Ballon d'Or on Monday (December 2nd) in Paris. An absolute record that allows him to get ahead of his eternal rival, the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, with whom he shares the trophy since 2008, except the coronation of Luka Modric last year.
This result revives an eternal debate: does the Ballon d'Or reward the best player in the world or the best player of the best team in the world? A debate finally summarized by Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp: "If you want to give the Golden Ball to the best of this generation of players, it's Messi. If it's the best of last year, it's van Dijk. " Debate, it seems, decided by the 180 journalists who make up the jury.
For women, there were fewer questions. The award left little room for suspense: at 34, Megan Rapinoe deserved more than ever to put her name on the list of winners of a prize that ignored footballers for too long. Unsurprisingly, the US soccer star took over from Norway's Ada Hegerberg, who won last year's first women's Golden Ball in history.
Top scorer in Europe
Like almost every year, the 32-year-old Barça star, who has already won the FIFA The Best prize in September, finished top European scorer in the 2018-2019 season with 36 goals. If he stopped in the semi-finals of the Champions League (still registering 12 goals in this competition, record of the season), he was the main asset of the Catalans in the quest for their 26e title of champions of Spain.
To avoid spoiling, "la Pulga" (chip) also issued 17 assists over the calendar year. He was simply the player who weighed the most with his club, in terms of goals, passes, or ratio goals per game.
Problem: Leo Messi could not prevent the humiliation of a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals, six days after correcting the English 3-0 in the first leg with a doubled as a bonus. It also did not allow Argentina to conquer the Copa America and was even suspended for three months after having expressed the opinion that the Conmebol, the South American Football Confederation, was sold in Brazil.
This new trophy will not fail to provoke strong reactions. Lionel Messi had in particular against him the armada of Liverpool players, who won the Champions League this season and finished second in the Premier League, the English league, with only one defeat on the clock.
Forwards Mohamed Sala and Sadio Mané, defender Virgil van Dijk and Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker were, in fact, potential and credible winners. But the fabulous career of the Reds players did not weigh in the face of Lionel Messi's individual talent and ever-crazier statistics.
" It's the best "
The Argentine played his 700e match with Barça. It is still him who, Sunday 1st December, gave the victory to his club against Atlético Madrid at the price of a new individual feat. " What Messi did with such ease, that's why it's the best, " judged Saul Niguez, midfielder of the Colchoneros. Ballon d'Or goal for the Madrid sports daily Marca.
#LaPortada A Balón de Oro https://t.co/r76V9aKz0j
Juventus player Cristiano Ronaldo finishes at 3e place, on the podium of the most prestigious individual awards. The Portuguese boycotted the trophy ceremony. He will no doubt catch up with Lionel Messi, now alone on his planet.
