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The duel has been going on for ten years. Leaders of their generation, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi reign supreme and take turns trading the most coveted golden ball of the football world. With five trophies each, the Portuguese and the Argentinian are in perfect equality and are counting on winning others. And since 2015, a third thief has invited himself in this fight for the Ballon d'Or: Neymar. Third twice in the last three editions, the Brazilian is doing everything possible to win the Grail. Last summer, he did not hesitate to leave FC Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain to no longer be in the shadow of Messi. In this race for gold, the Champions League is a trump, but since 2015 and the return of the Golden Ball in the lap of France Football the new voting system is composed only of journalists . More breeders and captains of national selections whose votes made public often laugh, each voting for his compatriot or his friend club.
The underdogs play low profile
This season, the coronation in World Cup could, as in 2006, be decisive. Indeed, following the Italian triumph against France twelve years ago, Fabio Cannavaro was able to win the cup when a defender rarely has the opportunity to be elected. A return to the old voting system that should avoid giving birth to controversial scenarios as was the case in 2010 when Lionel Messi had put the Spanish world champions at the post, without forgetting Wesley Sneijder, finalist of the World Cup and winner of the Champions League with Inter Milan, who did not even appear on the podium. A vote that had also caused a headache to our Spanish confreres. "In 2010, we had prepared a special program after Spain's victory in South Africa. We had prepared everything because we thought that the winner of the Golden Ball would be Xavi, even if we believed more in Iniesta. For us, there were only two options and we bet on Iniesta. We went to his home village near Albacete and we had a special program during which the mayor of the city and the family had to go on air. And when later in the afternoon, when it fell, it was a disaster. We had seen that Messi had won " explained to us Rafael Fernandez, journalist for the Spanish radio Onda Cero .
With a different mode of voting, the 2018 edition of the Ballon d'Or could she give birth to a different ballot than in 2014 when the German world champions had been able to place Manuel Neuer in third place. The early eliminations of Argentina, Portugal, Nationalmannschaft, Spain and Brazil at the 2018 World Cup will weigh in the balance? Asked about the issue in case of French coronation on July 15, Raphael Varane, who would have a Champions League and a World Cup in the bag, believes a little, but no more. "It can be, it's possible. For me, it's not a goal. I am not a player who is brought to light compared to an attacker. I think of the collective. I try to bring to my team. It's something very prestigious. If it came back to a Frenchman, I would be very happy ". Ditto at Luka Modric, another Merengue winner of the cup with big ears still in contention for a world title. "No, I do not think of the Ballon d'Or" he declared in the mixed zone yesterday. And among Belgians? In case of Moscow triumph in mid-July, the Red Devils have on paper, at least two or three suitors of choice with Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois. But again, no one really believes in a revolution.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi undeniable, Neymar ejected from the podium?
"I do not know if the World Cup will influence. I think Ronaldo will win. Even if Belgium wins the World Cup, a player like Eden Hazard has not made a big performance in the last six months. He has played well, but Chelsea has done badly and he is likely to pay for it. As for De Bruyne, he was not even voted best player in the Premier League (defeated by Mohamed Salah, ed). They will be ranked well, but I think they have no chance. And then there is not a Belgian player on top of the others. We are talking about Hazard or De Bruyne, that means that the votes will be divided between the two. And again, there is Lukaku too. There are at least four world-class players in the Belgian selection, they risk eating each other. Even if the French win the World Cup, I'm not sure they have chances. Ronaldo's favorite part. He has made six excellent months, his match against Spain has been huge and by then, he scored fifteen goals in the league. Neymar has no chance of winning. Griezmann is more likely to be on the podium. Unless Hazard scores Maradona goals, he's going to get it (laughs) " told us two Belgian journalists present in Istra.
In the end, there is little optimism among those concerned about the chances of see the Ronaldo-Messi doublet be driven out of his favorite playground. And if CR7 shares with the favors of the odds despite a World Cup stopped in the knockout stages, only a place of honor in the top three seems possible. And at this little game, the big loser could be called Neymar. "If one of the three (Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar) is to be ejected from the podium, I think it would be Neymar. Ronaldo will be there because he won the Champions League. And Messi will be there too I think because when the Golden Ball is awarded, La Liga will have started again and there is a good chance that Messi scored a lot of goals. I do not see anyone coming out of it " explains Fernandez. The bets have been made. It remains to be seen if the journalists who will have the honor to vote will make the predictions lie.
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