Lionel Messi for the 2012 Ballon d'Or Award
Published by Zahed Al Saifi (Columnist), Edited by Daniel Lewis (Editor-in-Chief) on December 05, 2012 in The Penn Sport Report. Click to read article in The Penn Sport Report.
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The soccer world has run out of superlatives to describe the diminutive Argentinean genius known as Lionel Messi.
He has never failed to dazzle millions of fans around the world with his weekly magical performances. In fact, he has elevated his standards to such a degree that it would be nearly impossible for any soccer player to emulate his feats in the near future.
This year has been no exception for Messi as he produced yet another stellar season and has been touted as the favorite to claim the FIFA Ballon d’Or award for the fourth consecutive year.
Before providing the reasons for why Lionel Messi should be crowned as the winner of this award, it is important to give an overview of this prestigious individual accolade.
The month of December is the time of year when fans around the world anxiously anticipate the unveiling of soccer’s most prestigious individual award, the Ballon d’Or.
This award is annually presented by the soccer governing body to the best performing soccer player in Europe. Coaches of European soccer clubs, captains of international teams as well as a list of ninety-six sports journalists from around the world line up to cast their votes for the player who they believe was the most consistent over the course of a soccer calendar year.
On November 29, the FIFA Soccer Committee and experts from France Soccer magazine announced that the three players shortlisted for the award were Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta as well as Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
This list did not surprise many soccer fans, as all three of these players had stellar seasons in which they shattered personal records and helped their respective teams claim silverware.
However, as always, the pundits were quick to center the attention on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and fuel the ongoing debate about which of the two is more deserving of the award.
It is quite unfair actually that Andres Iniesta, MVP of Euros 2012 and winner of UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, has not received the same acknowledgment as both Messi and Ronaldo. However, it is truly difficult for him to compete with the modern day legends of the game.
Real Madrid’s coach Jose Mourinho has recently claimed that the Ballon d’Or winner has already been decided and that the award has been fixed by UEFA to ensure that Lionel Messi wins it for the fourth time running.
“The Ballon d'Or has already been given. When the heads of football speak and make the campaign, there is nothing you can do.”
Mourinho’s statements have absolutely no basis. While Messi is certainly in the lead to claim this year’s award, he hardly needs any help from anyone considering his performances.
La Liga Records
Messi was at his brilliant best last season, becoming the first player to ever reach the mark of 50 goals in a single season and was recognized as Marca’s Pichichi trophy winner.
He scored a total of 35 goals in Barcelona’s home league matches, setting the record for the most league goals scored in home games. He also became the youngest La Liga player to ever score 150 career goals and the first player to ever have eight hat-tricks to his name in a single league season.
However, the manner in which Messi scored his goals was astonishing, particularly in the numerous “man of the match” performances that he produced over the course of the campaign.
Furthermore, Messi showcased his selflessness by scoring 20 of his Liga goals from collective play and assisting fifteen of his team’s goals, putting him only two assists behind than La Liga’s top assister Mesut Ozil—an incredible achievement for an attacker.
Though Ronaldo’s achievements in the league are commendable, scoring 46 goals and 12 assists, he still remains in the shadows of Messi.
Champions League Records
The Champions League was no different for Messi, as he garnered a number of achievements and set a laundry list of records:
He became the all-time top scorer of the competition in a single season with 14 goals to his name.
He became the first ever player to be named as the top scorer of Europe’s most prestigious competition for four consecutive years.
He became the first player to ever score five goals in one match.
He became the youngest player to score 50 goals in the competition.
He became the top scorer in the knockout stage of the competition, adding to his previous tally to bring it to a total of 26 goals.
Individual and Team Awards and Club Records
Some fans would argue that Messi did not help his team claim any major silverware last season, whereas Ronaldo was a key reason why Real Madrid captured the La Liga title and why his team was able to break the record of 100 Liga points in a single season.
However, the Ballon D’or is about individual success, and Messi was clearly superior in this regard, breaking record after record and setting the world alight with mesmerizing performances.
Though Barcelona did not lift a major trophy last year, Messi was able to lead his team to four titles: Club World Cup, Copa Del Ray, Spanish Super Cup, and the Uefa Super Cup.
Furthermore, Messi was awarded the European golden shoe for his goal scoring feats, and French publication L’Equipe recognized him as the 2011 “Champion of Champions,” putting him above many other inspiring sports figures.
With respect to his club records, Messi is the first player in Barcelona’s history to score 73 goals in a single season; yes, 73 goals. He is also Barcelona’s all-time leading goal scorer in official matches, with 250 goals for his club since his debut.
Messi has shown no signs of slowing down this year, as he has already scored 28 goals this season and is one goal short of surpassing Gerd Muller’s record of 85 goals in a calendar year. He has also helped Barcelona to their best ever start in La Liga’s history; they sit atop of the league 11 points away from their arch rivals Real Madrid.
It is impossible to describe Messi’s achievements. In fact, simply noting down his goal scoring records and honors does not serve him justice.
The soccer world must appreciate the greatness of this young prodigy. He is at the top of the football world, and he deserves to receive the FIFA Ballon d’Or award on January 7.
He has never failed to dazzle millions of fans around the world with his weekly magical performances. In fact, he has elevated his standards to such a degree that it would be nearly impossible for any soccer player to emulate his feats in the near future.
This year has been no exception for Messi as he produced yet another stellar season and has been touted as the favorite to claim the FIFA Ballon d’Or award for the fourth consecutive year.
Before providing the reasons for why Lionel Messi should be crowned as the winner of this award, it is important to give an overview of this prestigious individual accolade.
The month of December is the time of year when fans around the world anxiously anticipate the unveiling of soccer’s most prestigious individual award, the Ballon d’Or.
This award is annually presented by the soccer governing body to the best performing soccer player in Europe. Coaches of European soccer clubs, captains of international teams as well as a list of ninety-six sports journalists from around the world line up to cast their votes for the player who they believe was the most consistent over the course of a soccer calendar year.
On November 29, the FIFA Soccer Committee and experts from France Soccer magazine announced that the three players shortlisted for the award were Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta as well as Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
This list did not surprise many soccer fans, as all three of these players had stellar seasons in which they shattered personal records and helped their respective teams claim silverware.
However, as always, the pundits were quick to center the attention on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and fuel the ongoing debate about which of the two is more deserving of the award.
It is quite unfair actually that Andres Iniesta, MVP of Euros 2012 and winner of UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, has not received the same acknowledgment as both Messi and Ronaldo. However, it is truly difficult for him to compete with the modern day legends of the game.
Real Madrid’s coach Jose Mourinho has recently claimed that the Ballon d’Or winner has already been decided and that the award has been fixed by UEFA to ensure that Lionel Messi wins it for the fourth time running.
“The Ballon d'Or has already been given. When the heads of football speak and make the campaign, there is nothing you can do.”
Mourinho’s statements have absolutely no basis. While Messi is certainly in the lead to claim this year’s award, he hardly needs any help from anyone considering his performances.
La Liga Records
Messi was at his brilliant best last season, becoming the first player to ever reach the mark of 50 goals in a single season and was recognized as Marca’s Pichichi trophy winner.
He scored a total of 35 goals in Barcelona’s home league matches, setting the record for the most league goals scored in home games. He also became the youngest La Liga player to ever score 150 career goals and the first player to ever have eight hat-tricks to his name in a single league season.
However, the manner in which Messi scored his goals was astonishing, particularly in the numerous “man of the match” performances that he produced over the course of the campaign.
Furthermore, Messi showcased his selflessness by scoring 20 of his Liga goals from collective play and assisting fifteen of his team’s goals, putting him only two assists behind than La Liga’s top assister Mesut Ozil—an incredible achievement for an attacker.
Though Ronaldo’s achievements in the league are commendable, scoring 46 goals and 12 assists, he still remains in the shadows of Messi.
Champions League Records
The Champions League was no different for Messi, as he garnered a number of achievements and set a laundry list of records:
He became the all-time top scorer of the competition in a single season with 14 goals to his name.
He became the first ever player to be named as the top scorer of Europe’s most prestigious competition for four consecutive years.
He became the first player to ever score five goals in one match.
He became the youngest player to score 50 goals in the competition.
He became the top scorer in the knockout stage of the competition, adding to his previous tally to bring it to a total of 26 goals.
Individual and Team Awards and Club Records
Some fans would argue that Messi did not help his team claim any major silverware last season, whereas Ronaldo was a key reason why Real Madrid captured the La Liga title and why his team was able to break the record of 100 Liga points in a single season.
However, the Ballon D’or is about individual success, and Messi was clearly superior in this regard, breaking record after record and setting the world alight with mesmerizing performances.
Though Barcelona did not lift a major trophy last year, Messi was able to lead his team to four titles: Club World Cup, Copa Del Ray, Spanish Super Cup, and the Uefa Super Cup.
Furthermore, Messi was awarded the European golden shoe for his goal scoring feats, and French publication L’Equipe recognized him as the 2011 “Champion of Champions,” putting him above many other inspiring sports figures.
With respect to his club records, Messi is the first player in Barcelona’s history to score 73 goals in a single season; yes, 73 goals. He is also Barcelona’s all-time leading goal scorer in official matches, with 250 goals for his club since his debut.
Messi has shown no signs of slowing down this year, as he has already scored 28 goals this season and is one goal short of surpassing Gerd Muller’s record of 85 goals in a calendar year. He has also helped Barcelona to their best ever start in La Liga’s history; they sit atop of the league 11 points away from their arch rivals Real Madrid.
It is impossible to describe Messi’s achievements. In fact, simply noting down his goal scoring records and honors does not serve him justice.
The soccer world must appreciate the greatness of this young prodigy. He is at the top of the football world, and he deserves to receive the FIFA Ballon d’Or award on January 7.