2008 Ballon d’Or Shortlist of 30

By: Daryl | October 20th, 2008

The Ballon d’Or shortlist is out, and it’s even shorter than usual. France Football usually names 50 players before voting, but this year it’s only 30. Presumably because we all know who’s going to win already, don’t we?

Various football journalists will now cast their vote, before naming Cristiano Ronaldo the winner. However you feel about his orange tan, C-Ron scored 42 goals last season as his team won the ~~treble~~ double (apologies to ‘Arry). It’s pretty hard to argue with that.

Shortlist of 30 after the jump:

Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd)
Wayne Rooney (Man Utd)
Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd)
Edwin van der Sar (Man Utd)
Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
Michael Ballack (Chelsea)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal)
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid)
Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid)
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Pepe (Real Madrid)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Xavi (Barcelona)
Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona)
Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid)
David Villa (Valencia)
Marcos Senna (Villarreal)
Kaka (AC Milan)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan)
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)
Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich)
Luca Toni (Bayern Munich)
Andrei Arshavin (Zenit St Petersburg)
Yuri Zhirkov (CSKA Moscow)
Karim Benzema (Lyon)

[list via Soccernet]

Interesting big name absentees include Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry, but that’s not really a surprise after the disappointing season they had. And I take that as proof that the shortlist is at least based on form and not reputation.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was magnificent for Inter early in the Serie A season, Fernando Torres had an excellent first season in the Premier League and Leo Messi had his moments. But of the names on that list, can you make a good case for anyone except C-Ron?

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Category: World Football

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shinan

c.ronaldo is the best
LL is a moron

Messi had a horrible year?! Are you sure?

Barca might have gone trophyless but that is not down to Messi, he dragged us through so many games with match winning displays and in a season disrupted by injury was our best player along Iniesta. He then starred at the olympics, gold medal and best player. And is currently in sensational form, you can't quanify his performances as he isn't an out and out goalscorer but he is a match winner and the number of goals and chances he has created already this season is incredible. He is the best player in the world and although he maybe doesnt deserve to pip Ronaldo this time he certainly will next year if he stays injury free
mr muppet

If Zenit win the champions league this season, (not likely), then arshavin. but otherwise, he shouldn't get it QUITE yet. HOWEVER Christina Ronaldo isn't it either. Rubbish. Player on Man United. Scoring 42 goals, mostly from penalty kicks. I think Del Piero should get it
Chubby

Im not sure whos gonna read it, but my POV is that although Ronaldo had an amazing year, Arshavin should be in the straight contest for the prize, and not Torres or Ibra for that case. We all know an importance of CL (and as Milan fan i know it firsthand) but lets not diminish other leagues, ok? Because with your logic only players from big 4 leagues should win the prize...
Snubbing CRon would be a nice beginning and humble him a bit too. If they had balls to snub Paolo Maldini and Gigi Buffon, snubbing Cristiano Ronaldo should be piece of cake.
Nelson

Oh btw, its also not about potential or what COULD have been, so Messi really should not even be in the top 3.

I say:

Ronaldo
Torres
Xavi
Nelson

I agree with Shazback. People calling for Arshavin are setting different standards for the players, i.e. because Ronaldo is known and plays for a big club his merits don't mean as much as Arshavin who played for a lesser club yet still achieved a lot.

When you break it down, Ronaldo won the most coveted prize in club football, swept all the awards in one of the world's top 3 leagues (if not the top one), and won the European Golden Boot by a pretty wide margin.

People hold him to the highest standard and say he isn't good enough because he isn't perfect (i.e. missing penalties in crucial moments) but this award isn't about who's perfect (then no one would win) but rather who was the best last year.

Ronaldo no contest
Shazback

The case for Arshavin is pretty weak... Won the Russian league? CRon matches with the Premier League. And I don't see no Chelsea, Arsenal and liverpool (a.k.a.) four champions league finals in a row in the Russian League. Won the UEFA Cup? CRon has the proper european trophy, the big-eared version of Andrei's toy. Euro 2008? Arshavin was great against the Netherlands and Sweden, but invisible against Spain. CRon was brilliant against the Czech Republic and Turkey. Yes, dispite people saying CRon had a crap Euro, it wasn't all that bad. Ronaldo created the second goal against Turkey, made two assists and scored against the Czech Republic and he created the first Portuguese goal against Germany... Three games, one goal scored, four assists. Portugal played only one game without Ronaldo... and lost 2-0 to Switzerland. Arshavin also played three games, scoring twice, but only giving one assist. Arshavin was absent whilst Russia lost 4-1 to Spain, and with him, they lost 3-0.

Add to that the 42 goals scored (yes, he did miss a penalty in the final, and a penalty in the semi-final, but he -did- also score important goals, such as vs Lyon@OT, Sporting Lisbon (twice) or Chelsea in the CL Final), and I can't really see where Arshavin can one-up CRon... Torres, however, with a CL semi, a Euro 2008 winner's medal and a decent first year in the Premiership, could be in for a strong showing.
Marco Pantanella

John, no way Luca Toni is making the top 3. Not with Euro 2008 and the abysmal 2008-09 season he's having so far. Pretty much brought down all the good things he did last season.
Al

1. Torres
2. C. Ronaldo
3. Xavi
LL

the list is always political and definitely suspect, C.Ronaldo should definitely win though. Kaka had a horrible year last year and so did Messi, yet low an behold there they are. Messi, as a Barcelona substitute in 2005-2006, was awesome because defenses were worried about E'to and then World Player of the Year Ronaldinho. Since becoming a starter for BARCA in two years has he won anything? the answer is no. He even got outscored in LA LIGA last year by ROBINHO who didn't even make the list even though he was crucial to a MADRID side who won LA LIGA two years in a row before his controversial move away from the Bernabeau. In the Champions League, MESSI wasn't that convincing either, he had 6 goals and no assists while ROBINHO had 4 goals and 8 assists.
Gaston

in no particular order

c-ron ( 42 goals, won CL)
torres (30 goals, won euro 08)
messi (because he won the olympics)
arshvan ( uefa cup, russian cup, amazing euro 08 performance)

the rest is anyone guess
Nolan

I can't believe they snubbed Iniesta
Sam

Michael Ballack

kidding
john

1. Ronaldo
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
3. L. Toni

what do these players have in common besides brilliance? They all won trophies and if you don’t win trophies you fall into the following category

Honourable mention.......
1. Fernando Torres
2. Lionel Messi…….his time will come

regards
Cerberus

Well I'd say Casillas based on Euro 2008 and his year at Real Madrid, but who am I kidding? A goalkeeper? It's gonna be the orange bastard.
Daryl

Ak, Drabik,

Corrected, and a letter of apology is on its way to Fratton Park.
Wayne

The top 3 in my view will be;

1. Ronaldo
2. Messi
3. Torres

I don't think that anyone can deny that they're the 3 real form players at the top of world football.
Chubby

Shiny, shiny, shiny toy... 42 goals, let him have a Golden boot.
Marco Pantanella

On second thought, given how much importance these journalists give to winning trophies, I'd stick Fernando Torres in the top 3. He won that Euro 2008 cup I think...
Drabik

Ak makes a very good point Daryl. That is very poor lol. I'm pretty sure though, that if united had beaten pompey (Damn, we had so many chances in that game), the treble still might not have happened, as too many important games in a short amount of time may have been too much.

And I dont really think that anyone can look past ronaldo. Even if you hate him, I mean really, really hate him, you know he deserves it.
Chubby

If you want my unbiased opinion - Arshavin should be CRon closest contender. Won treble with Zenit, was immense for Russia during Euros and WC qualifications. Unlike CRon tend to shine in important games, beat the living crap out of Zlatan's Sweden. I am not counting Messi because Barca went titleless for the past few seasons. (Maybe he should move to Russia??? :P )

Arshavin for Golden Ball.
Chubby

If you want my unbiased opinion - Arshavin should be CRon closest contender. Won treble with Zenit, was immense for Russia during Euros and WC qualifications. Unlike CRon tend to shine in important games, beat the living crap out of Zlatan's Sweden. I am not counting Messi because Barca went titleless for the past few seasons. (Maybe he should move to Russia??? :P )

Arshavin for Goden Ball.
Marco Pantanella

My predicted top 3 (in that order):

1. CR7
2. Zlatan
3. Leo
Wayne

Yeah, how's Gerrard there and not Rio?
Ak

"...C-Ron scored 42 goals last season as his team won the treble." Daryl, when Harry Redknapp kicks off just remember the most important thing is to not make eye contact: the merest of looks and you're a dead man.

Also, where's Ferdinand?