Lionel Messi is on a roll for FC Barcelona.
LaLiga Santander 2019-20
13 GP (Games Played)
13 G (Goals)
6 A (Assists)
Champions’ League 2019-20
4 GP
2 G
3 A
Lionel Messi scored 50 goals with club and country in the year 2019. The man continues to dominate world football.
2020 shapes to be another great year for the Argentine genius.
Since the Ballon d’Or was attributed on December 12 to Portuguese international Cristiano Ronaldo, we are comparing both superstars of « The Beautiful Game » with their statistics for the calendar year 2016. Lionel Messi played for FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou against local rival RCD Espanyol de Barcelona, last week, and scored one goal with a 4-1 victory for the Catalan giants. The display was immense from the native of Rosario, Argentina.
On the other side of the planet, Real Madrid CF, thanks to their UEFA Champions League victory last season, was competing in the FIFA Club World Cup and no surprise, albeit some scares, won the tournament by beating Japanese side Kashima Antlers by the score of 4-2 in extra time, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring 3 goals in that game. Earlier that week, he scored one goal against Mexican side Club America to secure a spot in the final.
See you in 2017 for more Messi vs. Ronaldo statistics.
Here are the final numbers for 2016.
| L. Messi | 62 games | 59 goals | 32 assists | 3 trophies won – La Liga BBVA – La Copa del Rey – Spanish Supercup |
| C. Ronaldo | 57 games | 55 goals | 17 assists | 4 trophies won – UEFA Champions League – UEFA European Championship – UEFA SuperCup – FIFA Club World Cup |
| Total | Messi 5 games | Messi 4 goals | Messi 15 assists | Ronaldo 1 trophy |
Last week, Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned winner of the Ballon d’Or 2016 (the fourth of his career) ahead of Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann. While I congratulate the Portuguese winger for his success, I do not agree with the decision and I would like either a reform of the trophy or simply put, a repeal of it. And there are several reasons why.
Earlier this year, France Football (a French football magazine whom created the trophy and distributed it for decades) and FIFA parted ways with the gala and the trophy, which meant full control of the criterias by the magazine and the hope that we would have more winners and more diversity. Well, it seems like France Football picked up exactly where FIFA left off and awarded the Ballon d’Or to a player who is very good, with great statistics, four trophies won, but ultimately was not the best player in 2016, in my opinion.
I even doubt that he was he second best, even third best (Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez could have been in front of him in 2016). I have ranked Lionel Andrès Messi first because of his complete performance (with club and country) from January 1st to the end date of the voting (November 27th). Goals, assists, chances created, trophies won and runner-up, Messi was, once again, in a league of his own.
While CR7 has been very good as mentioned, created his share of chances and won several important trophies during the year, he was also helped by his teammates while struggling to make an impression on the big stage (UEFA Champions League and European Championship finals) or being absent (UEFA SuperCup). Real Madrid CF won the Champions League final against Atlético Madrid FC on penalties where Ronaldo was invisible the whole game. He eventually dispatched of the winning penalty (only Juanfran from Atlético missed his during the penalty kicks).
Ronaldo didn’t have a great European Championship, missing several scoring chances, missing an important penalty versus Iceland if I recall with his country barely qualifying for the round of 16 in a group where they were largely favourites to win and featuring a mere twenty minutes in the final. His attitude during the whole tournament was unworthy of a « superstar » like him as well. The man of the tournament was French striker Antoine Griezmann.
Lionel Messi won the domestic double (LaLiga BBVA and the Spanish Cup). He was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Atlético de Madrid FC in the UEFA Champions League, but led Argentina to the Copa America Centenario final lost on penalties to Chile for the second year in a row. Messi, having a superb tournament, missed his penalty kick during the shootout session.
In his return to Europe, him and FC Barcelona lifted the Spanish SuperCup versus Sevilla FC, adding a third domestic trophy to his cabinet for the year. His statistics were excellent through the year as you can regularly see in my blog. He outscored, « outassisted » by 16 assists, Cristiano Ronaldo. He created more chances and showed (as usual) more team spirit and more engagement than the Portuguese international.
All this leads me to ask…what is the Ballon d’Or’s purpose? Do we reward the best player of the calendar year? Of the season? Is it a popularity contest? Do we simply attribute the trophy based on winning the FIFA World Cup, Champions League and/or the European Championship despite not being the best player of the tournament or even the team (Nani, Pepe, a Champions League winner as well this year, Ricardo Quaresma, Rui Patricio and others were excellent and clutch during the tournament for La Seleção and let’s not forget Lille player Eder who put the nail in the coffin to clinch the title)?
Last, but not least, it may not be a good idea to hand out a trophy right in the middle of a season. After all, trophies are given at the end generally.
The Ballon d’Or France Football will be awarded tomorrow in annual gala by football magazine France Football who re-gained the rights to the trophy thanks to their disassociation with FIFA earlier this year. The three favourites, not finalists, for the trophy are FC Barcelona/Argentina player Lionel Messi (the holder and record five-time winner), Real Madrid CF/Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo (three-time winner and favourite to win it this year) and Atlético de Madrid FC/French international striker Antoine Griezmann (first-time finalist).
Here are the updated statistics between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo including this weekend’s action which saw La Pulga increase his goal tally by two goals in a win at Osasuna (3-0), while the Portuguese winger was rested by Zinedine Zidane against Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña in a last-minute victory by Los Merengues/Blancos.
| L. Messi | 61 games | 58 goals | 32 assists | 3 trophies won – La Liga BBVA – La Copa del Rey – Spanish Supercup |
| C. Ronaldo | 55 games | 51 goals | 17 assists | 3 trophies won – UEFA Champions League – UEFA European Championship – UEFA SuperCup |
| Total | Messi 6 games | Messi 7 goals | Messi 15 assists | Tie |
The Ballon d’Or France Football will need to be reformed in order to gain more credibility, in my opinion. Lionel Messi should win tomorrow based on many factors that point in his favour, but Cristiano Ronaldo will lift the trophy. And that is the problem with the current format with or without FIFA involved.
Stay tuned…
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are still battling (along with French international, Antoine Griezmann and Uruguyan striker, Luis Suarez) for the next Ballon d’Or, while CR7 seems to be the favourite, let’s take a look at the statistics and the trophies won for the calendar year 2016 (Messi still has to play a game today at Real Sociedad):
| L. Messi | 57 games | 54 goals | 32 assists | 3 trophies won – La Liga BBVA – La Copa del Rey – Spanish Supercup |
| C. Ronaldo | 53 games | 51 goals | 17 assists | 3 trophies won – UEFA Champions League – UEFA European Championship – UEFA SuperCup |
| Total | Messi 4 games | Messi 3 goals | Messi 15 assists | Tie |
We are as few weeks away before the voting ends and there should be no doubt that Lionel Andres Messi from FC Barcelona should be the clear favourite to win the Ballon d’Or this year. Here are the numbers (remember that the trophy is judged based on a calendar year, from January 1st to the last day of voting):
Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona, Argentina)
Games – 51
Goals – 49
Assists – 29
Trophies – 3 (La Liga, Copa del Rey, Spanish SuperCup; 1 final – Copa America Centenario)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF, Portugal)
Games – 45
Goals – 41
Assists – 15
Trophies – 3 (UEFA Champions League, UEFA European Championship, UEFA SuperCup).
The difference is simply staggering. Ronaldo may have won the most prestigious trophies this year, but his performances have not been so great. He did not even feature more than 8 minutes in the final against France before being substituted in the 26th minute. His display vs. Atlético de Madrid in the Champions League final was almost invisible despite dispatching of the winning spot kick in the penalty shootout that occurred and he did not even feature in the UEFA SuperCup final won in the last minutes of the game vs. Sevilla FC.
Lionel Messi won the domestic double with his club, was clutch when the moment was needed. Elevated his game in La Copa America Centenario lost on penalties vs. Chili for the second year in a row (and we see currently see the difference when La Pulga plays for La Albiceleste and when he does not). Since the season has begun, despite missing a few games via injuries, he is simply untouchable with goals and assists in plenty. Messi is probably having his best beginning of a season ever.
France Football and FIFA have disassociated themselves, a few weeks ago, from the Ballon d’Or meaning that the French newspaper will dictate its previous formula once again. Will it be enough to see the Messi vs. Ronaldo saga end and another winner coming forward? We shall see. This year, Messi has been the best so far and deserves his sixth Golden Ball/Ballon d’Or.
The season 2016/17 has arrived and Lionel Messi has wasted little making his presence felt for his club and his country (3 goals and 3 assists in 4 games with one trophy won). Cristiano Ronaldo is still sidelined with an injury and his return is unclear. Messi scored the only goal for his country, this week, in a 1-0 win against arch-rival Uruguay in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match propelling La Albiceleste at the top of the group.
Here are the updated statistics between the two FIFA Golden Ball/Ballon d’Or « collectors » from January 01st to September 04th, 2016:
| L. Messi | 44 games | 38 goals | 26 assists | 3 trophies won – La Liga BBVA – La Copa del Rey – Spanish Supercup |
| C. Ronaldo | 35 games | 32 goals | 11 assists | 3 trophies won – UEFA Champions League – UEFA European Championship – UEFA SuperCup |
| Total | Messi 9 games | Messi 6 goals | Messi 15 assists | Tie |
Stay tuned…
After the aftermath the UEFA European Championship in which Portugal, an unlikely winner, clinched its first international professional trophy, there were several praises for Cristiano Ronaldo, the captain of the national squad. Some deserved, some not. At the end of the day, despite the win, football fans should not forget that Lionel Messi was involved in another continental competition, la Copa America Centenario, a little earlier this summer and led his country to the final against the defending champion and, despite started the competition and on the bench injured, managed to tear the competition apart (5 goals, 4 assists in 5 games, 3 games started). Argentina ultimately lost on penalty kicks against Chile, for the second year in a row.
If Gonzalo Higuain would have been able to do to Chile and Claudio Bravo what Eder has done to France and Hugo Lloris in the final, Argentina may have won its first senior trophy since 1993, Lionel Messi would finally win a professional trophy with La Albiceleste, and critics would not have been so harsh and cruel versus the Argentine superstar, five-time Ballon d’Or winner and on the receiving end of countless individual and collective honours during his career, which started officially in 2004.
While CR7 is older and started his career a few seasons before Leo Messi, there is no doubt in my mind that La Pulga is the better player. While the former is physical phenomenon, a great header of the ball, and goal-scoring machine (especially since joining La Liga Santander) and without a doubt one of the best player of the last 20 years, Messi can do pretty everything on a football pitch. The little man can score, assist, pass the ball, direct the play and play in numerous positions with efficiency. We have seen Messi play as a number 10, 9, 9 and a half, as a winger and even as a number six (versus Germany in 2010 was shocking to see). He is up there with the likes of Pelé, Diego Armando Maradona, Garrincha, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff. His simplification of the game and the fear that he strikes towards his opponents are simply baffling, while Ronaldo has often been absent during big games and Portugal’s victory in the final without their captain plus Real Madrid CF’s penalty kicks win against their local rivals, Atlético de Madrid, in the Champions League final with an absent and inefficient number 7 can testify furthermore of this fact.
The statistics, the silverware won and the impact on the pitch do not lie. Lionel Andres Messi is currently the best footballer on the planet and the question should be: where will he rank in the history of the game when his career will end.
And he should be the current favourite for the Golden Ball/Ballon d’Or 2016 if you look at statistics and honours won so far for the calendar year.
The 2016 European Championship ended on July 10th with Portugal winning 1-0 in extra time against the host nation, France. Eder scored the only goal of the match to clinch Portugal’s first international title.
For Cristiano Ronaldo, who was injured in the 8th minute and was substituted minutes after the incident with French playmaker, Dimitri Payet, it is a first trophy with the national squad for the native of Madeira.
Week 28 and 29 – here are the updated statistics between the two FIFA Golden Ball/Ballon d’Or collectors from January 01st to July 17th, 2016:
| L. Messi | 39 games | 34 goals | 23 assists | 2 trophies won |
| C. Ronaldo | 35 games | 32 goals | 11 assists | 2 trophies won |
| Total | Messi 4 games | Messi 2 goals | Messi 12 assists | Tie |
Stay tuned….
While Lionel Messi is done playing international football with Argentina (for the summer (he is not scheduled to appear in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics Games soccer tournament in August), Cristiano Ronaldo is still alive with Portugal at the Euro 2016, thanks to penalty shootout win versus Poland in the quarterfinals of the competition. CR7, despite not appearing on the scoresheet again in this tournament, still managed to score his spot kick and help his country to a third European Championship semi-final appearance in the last four editions.
Week 27 – here are the updated statistics between the two FIFA Golden Ball/Ballon d’Or collectors:
| L. Messi | 39 games | 34 goals | 23 assists | 2 trophies won |
| C. Ronaldo | 33 games | 31 goals | 10 assists | 1 trophy won |
| Total | Messi 6 games | Messi 3 goals | Messi 13 assists | Messi 1 trophy |
Stay tuned….
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