Here it is guys. Surprising? Shocking? Knew it was coming? Let's discuss if it's a good choice and who should win? Let's have a heated discussion of who will win an who should win.

I am saying straight out no doubt Messi should take this because his 2012 has been unmatched since the days of the great Muller!



Football - Liga
Iniesta, Ronaldo and Messi on Ballon d'Or shortlist
Great rivals Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are joined on a three-man shortlist for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award by Andres Iniesta.

The three stars were also shortlisted for UEFA's Best Player in Europe award, won by Barcelona and Spain midfielder Iniesta in August after his success in inspiring his country to win Euro 2012 and winning the player of the tournament award.

However, Barca team-mate Messi is favourite to secure the FIFA award on January 7 and become the first man to be named the world's greatest player for four years in succession.

Messi has scored a remarkable 82 goals for club and country in 2012 - just three short of Gerd Mueller's all-time record from 1972 - and though it was Ronaldo's Real Madrid who won the Spanish title, Messi scored a barely believable 50 goals in the 2011-12 league campaign.

The Argentina forward won both the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or in 2009, before then claiming the award in 2010 and 2011 when the two prizes were amalgamated.

Ronaldo won both previous awards in 2008 when he helped Manchester United record a Premier League and Champions League double.

Spanish football also dominates the World Coach of the Year shortlist, with national team coach Vicente del Bosque, Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho and his former rival at Barcelona, Pep Guardiola, all included.

Del Bosque oversaw Spain's triumph at Euro 2012, Mourinho won the Liga title with a record tally of 100 points and, while Guardiola only won the Copa del Rey, his Barcelona side left an indelible mark on the game in 2012.

The nominees for the FIFA Puskas Award, given to the scorer of the best goal of the year, are Falcao (Atletico Madrid v America de Cali), Neymar (Santos v Internacional) and Miroslav Stoch (Fenerbahce v Genclerbirligi).

Brazil's Marta was joined by USA's Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach on the shortlist for the women's player award, while France's Bruno Bini, Japan's Norio Sasaki and USA coach Pia Sundhage are in contention for the manager award.

The shortlists were announced at a press conference in Sao Paulo. Candidates were voted for by international captains and head coaches as well as international media representatives.

Eurosport - Tom Adams - @tomEurosport - 11/29/12 7:24 AM

Iniesta over Pirlo

I think it should honestly be: Messi, Pirlo, and Drogba. In that order.

Swanhends wrote:Iniesta over Pirlo

This

juventus101 wrote:I think it should honestly be: Messi, Pirlo, and Drogba. In that order.

Lol no, they got 2/3 of it right but Iniesta there is a joke but we all knew it was going to happen so meh.

Messi to win it.

I would vote Del Bosque for the coach award.

My list for players would be Messi, Ronaldo, and Pirlo.

My list for coaches Prandelli/Klopp/Conte, Mourinho/VDB, and Di Matteo.

If Iniesta wins this it would be worse than Cannavaro ffs. It's a joke that he is top 3.

Messi
Ronaldo
Pirlo

Iniesta being there is just as big of a joke as Pirlo being there. I'd only consider Pirlo if Italy had won the euros.

A bigger joke would be Cassilas being there.

Should've just nominated Falcao.

Klopp should win manager of the year.

Muzza wrote:Iniesta being there is just as big of a joke as Pirlo being there. I'd only consider Pirlo if Italy had won the euros.

A bigger joke would be Cassilas being there.

Should've just nominated Falcao.

Klopp should win manager of the year.

Pirlo led Juve to the serie a title, a copa and Euro final. Iniesta and Pirlo boith had 3 MOTM at the EUors. Please go. Pirlo was Juves best player all season and THE sole reason they reached the final, without Inesta spain were still the best team. Barcelona bias strikes again.

pls go

Iniesta didn't have a good Euro not the iniesta we know at least Drogba or Pirlo should be 3rd. Messi last year won because of tittles and CR was second because of statistics. Now CR has the tittles and Messi has the statistics let's see what will happen.

Manager of the year Klopp I wish the 'scandal' didn't broke out conte would be up there ...

DeviAngel wrote:Iniesta didn't have a good Euro not the iniesta we know at least Drogba or Pirlo should be 3rd. Messi last year won because of tittles and CR was second because of statistics. Now CR has the tittles and Messi has the statistics let's see what will happen.

Manager of the year Klopp I wish the 'scandal' didn't broke out conte would be up there ...

we all know Missi will win it because he is painted as some sort of daddy's boy whereas Ronaldo is painted as an Evil up himself arrogant baby

Muzza Iker being there would have been very fair, Iker had an outstanding season last season. but keepers are less attractive for voters these days that they get overlooked

So the winner is basically decided, i mean fifa knows it right? they just will announce it in January.......dont see any point of this intermediary announcement.....

maybe im sounding ignorant but besides this award losing credibility, why the heck are these awarded at the end of calendar years? why not just have player/manager of the season so there isnt so much debate with players/managers switching clubs in summer

zidane won WPOTY for a performance in the euros very similar to Iniesta, but I don't remember him getting as much hate as Iniesta who won't even end up winning it, and I agree he shouldn't. I hope people see how overrated Zidane was who has 3 of these awards, Iniesta will probably never get one.

and i meant pirlo should only be considered for winning it if Italy won the euros, probably should be in the top 3 though.

No Falcao? Psh

Just because Spain won the Euro's doesn't mean Iniesta was the best player in the Euros...

Pirlo was still clearly the best player in the tournament

Add that to the fact that Pirlo led Juve to an unbeaten Scudetto season...

If Falcao was there people would complain that strikers AKA stat padders are favoured over other positions.

De Rossi > Pirlo at the Euros in my opinion.

The flexibility he brought in both midfield and defense and the fact that he was better in both matches against us as well as the Germany game is enough for me to say that.

He was perhaps more replaceable than Pirlo but that doesn't affect what happened on the pitch.

Also.

Iniesta and no other Spanish player deserves anything based on any international competition. It's a complete team effort.

And the fact your a complete De Rossi fanboy doesn't effect your thinking at all?



Anyway Iniesta's selection is an utter joke tbh, there's many players who had better individual 2012 than Iniesta....

Falcao, Ibra, Benzema, Messi, CR, Pirlo, Van Persie, Ozil, Kroos, Ribery....

I could be here all day tbh.

Serie A is pretty much irrelevant these days. According to the official UEFA coefficients, which also determine how many CL spots a league is rewarded with, it ranks as the fourth strongest league in Europe and is very close to fall behind even France and Portugal soon:

La Liga: 80.168 points
EPL: 75.392 points
Bundesliga: 71.471 points
Serie A: 57.981 points
Ligue 1: 55.333 points
Primeira Liga: 54.501

So it's irrelevant if Pirlo won the Scudetto. Barcelona's point tally, despite playing their worst season under Guardiola, would have still been enough to win the league title in Italy anyway (or any other league for that matter). Only a record breaking € 600 million Real Madrid squad and bad luck for Barcelona (Villa leg break, Abidal cancer, Pedro and Alexis injured half of the season) were responsible for Barcelona's "bad" season - 91 points, Copa del Rey and CL semi-finals, where once again an utterly inferior team lucked its way through. A competition in which Pirlo didn't even compete (which on the other hand made it even easier for Juventus in the league). As for the Euros: "OMG, nice panenka!!111 Ballon d'Or!" Meanwhile Iniesta is officially MOTM in both games against Italy, wins the whole competition, gets voted player of the tournament, gets voted European Player Of The Year. And now over 200 captains and coaches from all over the world are just Barca fans voting for Iniesta.

Short version: Butthurt gonna hurt.

futbol wrote:Serie A is pretty much irrelevant these days. According to the official UEFA coefficients, which also determine how many CL spots a league is rewarded with, it ranks as the fourth strongest league in Europe and is very close to fall behind even France and Portugal soon:

La Liga: 80.168 points
EPL: 75.392 points
Bundesliga: 71.471 points
Serie A: 57.981 points
Ligue 1: 55.333 points
Primeira Liga: 54.501

So it's irrelevant if Pirlo won the Scudetto. Barcelona's point tally, despite playing their worst season under Guardiola, would have still been enough to win the league title in Italy anyway (or any other league for that matter). Only a record breaking € 600 million Real Madrid squad and bad luck for Barcelona (Villa leg break, Abidal cancer, Pedro and Alexis injured half of the season) were responsible for Barcelona's "bad" season - 91 points, Copa del Rey and CL semi-finals, where once again an utterly inferior team lucked its way through. A competition in which Pirlo didn't even compete (which on the other hand made it even easier for Juventus in the league). As for the Euros: "OMG, nice panenka!!111 Ballon d'Or!" Meanwhile Iniesta is officially MOTM in both games against Italy, wins the whole competition, gets voted player of the tournament, gets voted European Player Of The Year. And now over 200 captains and coaches from all over the world are just Barca fans voting for Iniesta.

Short version: Butthurt gonna hurt.

What the hell

Seriously, I kinda feel you have absolutely no clue about football whatsoever.

Muzza wrote:zidane won WPOTY for a performance in the euros very similar to Iniesta, but I don't remember him getting as much hate as Iniesta who won't even end up winning it, and I agree he shouldn't. I hope people see how overrated Zidane was who has 3 of these awards, Iniesta will probably never get one.

and i meant pirlo should only be considered for winning it if Italy won the euros, probably should be in the top 3 though.

Zidane never should have won it. ROnaldo had a better year all round individually. The awrads are flawed.

Le Samourai wrote:De Rossi > Pirlo at the Euros in my opinion.

The flexibility he brought in both midfield and defense and the fact that he was better in both matches against us as well as the Germany game is enough for me to say that.

He was perhaps more replaceable than Pirlo but that doesn't affect what happened on the pitch.

Also.

Iniesta and no other Spanish player deserves anything based on any international competition. It's a complete team effort.

Just no. Please go.

futbol wrote:Serie A is pretty much irrelevant these days. According to the official UEFA coefficients, which also determine how many CL spots a league is rewarded with, it ranks as the fourth strongest league in Europe and is very close to fall behind even France and Portugal soon:

La Liga: 80.168 points
EPL: 75.392 points
Bundesliga: 71.471 points
Serie A: 57.981 points
Ligue 1: 55.333 points
Primeira Liga: 54.501

So it's irrelevant if Pirlo won the Scudetto. Barcelona's point tally, despite playing their worst season under Guardiola, would have still been enough to win the league title in Italy anyway (or any other league for that matter). Only a record breaking € 600 million Real Madrid squad and bad luck for Barcelona (Villa leg break, Abidal cancer, Pedro and Alexis injured half of the season) were responsible for Barcelona's "bad" season - 91 points, Copa del Rey and CL semi-finals, where once again an utterly inferior team lucked its way through. A competition in which Pirlo didn't even compete (which on the other hand made it even easier for Juventus in the league). As for the Euros: "OMG, nice panenka!!111 Ballon d'Or!" Meanwhile Iniesta is officially MOTM in both games against Italy, wins the whole competition, gets voted player of the tournament, gets voted European Player Of The Year. And now over 200 captains and coaches from all over the world are just Barca fans voting for Iniesta.

Short version: Butthurt gonna hurt.

the multi is strong with this one.

Le Samourai wrote:De Rossi > Pirlo at the Euros in my opinion.

The flexibility he brought in both midfield and defense and the fact that he was better in both matches against us as well as the Germany game is enough for me to say that.

He was perhaps more replaceable than Pirlo but that doesn't affect what happened on the pitch.

Also.

Iniesta and no other Spanish player deserves anything based on any international competition. It's a complete team effort.

no xavi does