Cristiano Ronaldo’s Choice for World Player of the Year? Cristiano Ronaldo Of Course!

By: Daryl | October 24th, 2008

What is Cristiano Ronaldo doing? When you’ve got a well established image as a perma-tanned prima dona, a little humility goes a long way. Unfortunately, Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t have a little humility to go anywhere. Here’s what he told Gazzetta dello Sport about his chances of winning the FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or awards this year:

“Sincerely, yes I’m confident. If you assess what I did over the course of the season, I think I did more than everyone. What else should I have done to win the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA award?”

C-Ron’s going to get slammed for that, and he probably deserves it. And to answer his “what else should I have done?” question, he could have performed a lot better at Euro 2008. But I want to stick up for C-Ron, if only because no one else will.

To some extent, you should be able to say something if you believe it. Cristiano Ronaldo clearly feels that he did enough with his ridiculous amount of goals and unstoppable form to win both awards. And he’s probably right: 42 goals last season, mostly from midfield? The key player in a Premier League/Champions League double winning team? That’s not bad.

And part of what makes C-Ron such a great player is his arrogance. I really believe that. You don’t pull off some of the things he pulls off without being arrogant enough to believe you can pull it off.

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Category: World Football

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Shazback

"Could have performed a lot better at Euro 2008"... How exactly? Three games, four assists, one goal. Against Germany he was cynically fouled by Friedrich at the beginning of the second half (should have been a red card, since he intentionally stood on his ankle, and I'm pretty sure 10 vs 11 wouldn't have been the same story) but he had created the first goal, and honestly, can anyone blame Portugal's elimination against Germany on Ronaldo? When two of the goals they conceded came on free-kicks that were headed in, and the other one came on a counter-attack right after Meireles had missed a sitter? Ronaldo himself didn't underperform. Portugal did (or perhaps they were overhyped, after all, only a few of their players are playing in top teams...). Before the tournament Portugal had high hopes, and they didn't fulfil them. But saying Ronaldo didn't perform well in Euro 2008 simply doesn't have any basis in facts. Without him on the pitch (1/4 of the time Portugal played in Euro 2008) Portugal scored 0 goals. All 7 goals they scored were with him on the pitch, and in 5 cases he was directly involved with either scoring or creating the goal. The only two goals scored without his involvement were a header off a corner (Pepe vs Turkey) and a header off a cross (Postiga vs Germany). In my opinion, it is more the players around Ronaldo and Deco that weren't up to it. Simao? Useless. And why he was taking free-kicks is a question nobody can answer, since he didn't get a single one on target. Nuno Gomes? Not good enough. He tried, but he's not the player he was 8 or even 4 years ago. Petit/Meireles/Moutinho? Dissapointing, unable to break opposing attacks, constantly outdone going forwards by Deco. At the back, they seemed solid until the game against Switzerland, and then crumbled against Germany. Pepe and Carvalho unable to get their heads on free-kicks against Germany? Bosingwa was the best defender, and he's hardly a rock... Ferreira did his job, but never shone. Ricardo couldn't do much on the goals he conceded, but didn't pull off his best tournament by a long margin. As for the subs, Quaresma, Nani, Postiga, Veloso and so forth, they failed to live up to their hype. They had merely decent tournaments, not the groung-breaking displays of trickery they promised.

Overall, did Portugal deserve to go further than the quarter-finals, or was their loss against Germany in fact... The consequence of the German -team- being better than the Portuguese -team-? After all, in 2004 Shevchenko recieved the Ballon d'Or without even participating in the Euro... Nor scoring 42 goals (he scored 29 goals), nor doing the Champions League-Domestic League double (he won Serie A, but AC Milan were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Champions League 2003-04). And yet his recieving it didn't provoke furore and disbelief. Too bad for Deco (peh, only the midfield dynamo of Porto, winner of the Portuguese domestic league, champions of the Champions League, and surprise Euro finalist) and too bad for any greek players like Nikopolidis (Greek domestic double winner and Euro 2004 winner, conceding 0 goals in the knockout rounds, but Panathanaikos did miserably in the Champions League), Dellas (2nd in Serie A, Euro 2004 winner mainly thanks to the great Greek defence, but Roma were only in the UEFA Cup) or Charisteas (fringe player in Werder's double-winning team, but Werder weren't qualified for European competitions)...

Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo didn't win Euro 2008, and his efforts weren't enough to pull Portugal as high as they had achieved at home four years before, but his performance was hardly a bad one. Or if one goal, four assists and pretty much constant danger over three games is "bad", then sign me up for 11 "bad" players each game.
martin

Our only consolation is that if he carries on performing the way he has been this season, at least he won't be getting it next year.
Nelson

I just don't get what people expected him to say. Its not like he's shouting this to the world, it was a journalist who asked him.

Do you want him to lie and say he doesn't think he will get it? If you read the quote he's simply stating that he THINKS he did more than everyone over last season, a sentiment shared by basically everyone.

Its not like he's saying everyone sucks in comparison to him, just that he did the most and the player who does the most wins.
yaph

He teels what he thinks and that's perfectly ok.
MoMONEY

Haha my point is that based on his accomplishments (as a team as well) he deserves it... Any other player in his shoes would win it easily... He is a disgrace and that is why it is an argument... It all come down to when the voters think is important... I hope he doesnt win it though
Lissette Evil Blue

So Cristiano "Oompa Loompa" Ronaldo its getting the damme award. Kaka its great footballer & he aint an arrogants asshole(as long as I know, he loves Jesus).He didn't bring that arrogance to help his country in the Euro. If he had showed himself in that important tournament wouldn't mind if he gets the award. I wouldn't hate him some much either. I just can't stand him.
Javier

"I hate Ronaldo. I think Messi is the best player in the world no doubt. I think Ronaldo is overrated, doesnt show up for big games, doesnt have the proper mentality, and is in general a disgrace to the game"

This!

I lost you on the next half of your comment >_>. I don't think he desurves the award at all.
I think the award should go to someone who is both skilled and is a excellent sportsman that loves football.
He's skilled. I'll give you that, but just the way he is towards the game is such a disgrace.
MoMONEY

I hate Ronaldo. I think Messi is the best player in the world no doubt. I think Ronaldo is overrated, doesnt show up for big games, doesnt have the proper mentality, and is in general a disgrace to the game. That being said I think he deserves the award more then anyone... The fact that there is even a discussion is a testament to how many people hate him as well... 42 goals as well as winning the UCL and the EPL? If anyone else would have doe in it would be a no brainer... Part of me wants to see him lose it but in reality he is the one who deserves it... It hurts my soul to say that but its the truth...
Ted

dearly?
Daryl

I agree with that last part, he would not be able to do some of the amazing things he does without being arrogant, when you 100% think that you can do something in your mind with no doubt...you'll do it.