Poll: Did A Spaniard Swoop The Ballon D’Or?

By: chris | July 9th, 2008

Reports from the Italian media are to be taken with a half of a half of a grain of salt…and reports from the Italian media state that the two new favorites for the Ballon D’Or are Fernando Torres and Iker Casillas of Spain. However, it can’t be a huge surprise because those who select the award do give more weight to those who perform well at international level. The last 3 World Cup winning teams have produced the Ballon D’Or winner, namely one who had zero chance without his 2006 performance, Fabio Cannavaro (along with Zidane and Ronaldo).

And because this is such a historic win, it adds to the aura of the Spanish players who helped their team along the way. Not only did they perform, but they did so under the weight of 44 years of failure. In comparison, giving the new Ronaldinho a piggy back ride would be a piece of cake. The Euros are difficult enough without that added nuisance. But was it enough?

Torres didn’t exactly light the world afire throughout the whole tournament, but he became Mr. Clutch in the final and showed up on a massive, massive stage with individual magic that eventually won Spain its first title in 44 years - and I think we all know that he put Liverpool on his back for much of this season. Casillas was great for Madrid, good in the group stages and turned in moments of brilliance when needed, even if those moments were few and far between outside of penalties. Ronaldo tore apart the EPL, but missed penalties in the Champions League semifinal and final before disappointing in Swissaustria, only adding fuel to the fire that he is simply not a big game player. The Ballon D’Or voters love big game players.

Going in you could consider Torres Ronaldo’s closest competitor. Luca Toni was mentioned in the event he continued his torrid form on the international level, but he put on a performance resembling Jan Koller as principal at the Bolshoi Theatre - just wretched and painful to the eye. So he’s quite clearly out of the picture. Now that’s Spain won with Torres’s decisive goal, does he leapfrog the walking, talking Vidal Sassoon ad? Or is Casillas, winner of both La Liga, the highest rated league, and immense presence between the sticks for the European champs the deserving one? Or is it still Ronaldo?

Chances are you can forget Casillas simply because a goalkeeper has only ever won the award once, and that was Lev Yashin in 1963, who many consider the greatest goalkeeper of all time. Spain broke 44 years of nothingness this year - not to mention the last Spaniard to win it was Luis Suarez in 1960 - asking for 45+ years of another kind is just probably too much to ask. (”Hey, heard you cured cancer. Cool. Wanna tackle AIDS before you head off on holiday?”) Not to mention having a stellar back line in front of him for the tournament. Which brings about Torres: Was one goal - one larger than life goal, that is - along with his amazing year for Liverpool enough to swing favor in his direction?

Who will take home the Ballon D’Or?
( surveys)