Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Messi at the FIFA Gala:

Here is Lionel receiving his deserved trophy:



This was an historic year for Messi: he won six team trophies with Barca and was named the best player in the world by FourFourTwo Magazine, France Football (Ballon d'Or), FIFA (World Player of the Year) and by you the fans at Bestplayerintheworld.com.

Maybe someday we will have a gala too.

Can't wait to get the fan voting starting for 2010.

Who will be next year's best player?

Could it be Messi again? Could Ronaldo regain his title? Will it be an exciting new player who takes over the football world?

It will be fun watching the players play and the votes add up.

Monday, December 21, 2009

It's official - Messi wins FIFA World Player of the Year Award for 2009:

Messi's status has been obvious to us for a long time at bestplayerintheworld.com where fans around the world have had the Barcelona magician at the top of our poll:

Here is where Messi stood in our poll as of 2:00pm Pacific Time on Monday December 21, 2009:
1.Lionel Messi 44% (1,761 votes)

Cristiano Ronaldo 21% (826 votes)
Steven Gerrard 6% (219 votes)
Andres Iniesta 4% (146 votes)
Kaka 3% (114 votes)
Fernando Torres 3% (103 votes)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 3% (119 votes)
Frank Lampard 2% (78 votes)
Wayne Rooney 2% (78 votes)
Andrei Arshavin 2% (64 votes)
Ronaldinho 2% (65 votes)
Cesc Fabregas 1% (46 votes)
Didier Drogba 1% (39 votes)
Xavi Hernandez 1% (34 votes)
Nemanja Vidic 1% (25 votes)
Samuel Eto'o 1% (34 votes)
Franck Ribery 1% (27 votes)
Luka Modric 1% (24 votes)
David Villa 1% (21 votes)
Robinho <1% (19 votes)
Iker Casillas <1% (17 votes)
Arjen Robben <1% (14 votes)
Karim Benzema <1% (15 votes)
Sergio (Kun) Aguero <1% (11 votes)
Petr Cech <1% (10 votes)
Gianluigi Buffon <1% (11 votes)
Ashley Young <1% (11 votes)
Emmanuel Adebayor <1% (8 votes)
Rio Ferdinand <1% (1 votes)
Mauro Matias Zarate <1% (1 votes)
Nani 0% (0 votes)
John Terry 0% (0 votes)
Juninho 0% (0 votes)
Arda Turan <1% (6 votes)
Carles Puyol 0% (0 votes)
Francesco Totti <1% (1 votes)
Antonio Valencia <1% (1 votes)
Marouane Chamakh 0% (0 votes)
Guiseppe Rossi 0% (0 votes)
Dimitar Berbatov 0% (0 votes)
Diego 0% (0 votes)
Juan Sebastian Veron 0% (0 votes)
Thierry Henry 0% (0 votes)
Other: 1% (31 votes)

Total Votes: 3,980

---

Here is how Soccernet.com reported Messi's trophy win at the FIFA Awards Gala:

"Lionel Messi was rewarded for a stunning year in which he helped Barcelona to an unprecedented six trophies by being named FIFA's World Player of the Year.

The Argentina forward, who headed the clinching goal against Manchester United in the Champions League final, also scored on Saturday to secure the Club World Cup for Barcelona against Estudiantes on Saturday.

The 22-year-old won the award for the first time, beating last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo, his two clubmates Andres Iniesta and Xavi and Brazil midfielder Kaka. He was presented with the trophy at a glittering awards gala in Zurich."

Monday, December 7, 2009

Amazing soccer tricks

9 year old wants to become the next Cristiano Ronaldo:

Here is the video evidence:



Sinisa comes up with a big goal for his team.

Could he become the next Cristiano Ronaldo?

You know our slogan - anything is possible.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Sometimes to become the best player in the world you need to play out of position

Players are always wondering how they can impress the coach / manager, wondering how they are going to cement a spot in the team.

Well - sometimes a player can find opportunity through injury in the team.

Usually this simply means waiting until the player playing in your position goes down.

But this morning at one of the best clubs in the world all sorts of players - in the team and in the reserves - are going to be given a chance to play due to eight (!) injuries to United defenders.

Here's the scoop from Soccernet.com:

"United ended yesterday's 4-0 Premier League win over West Ham with Michael Carrick and Patrice Evra at centre-back and Ryan Giggs at full-back after Gary Neville and Wes Brown added to an already-lengthy injury list.

Evra and young Belgian Ritchie De Laet are United's only two fit defenders, with reserve player Corry Evans -brother of centre-back Jonny - likely to be called into the squad for Tueday's Champions League clash with Wolfsburg.

Both Neville and Brazilian Fabio are suffering from groin problems, Jonny Evans and Rio Ferdinand have calf injuries, John O'Shea is out with thigh trouble, while Edwin van der Sar, Rafael and Brown are all missing too.

Young centre-back James Chester, winner of the club's Reserve Player of the Year Award last season, was included in United's Champions League squad, but is currently on-loan at Championship side Plymouth Argyle, while fellow defensive prospect Craig Cathcart is also on-loan, at Watford."

(Source > http://m.espn.go.com/soccer/story?storyId=709171&leagueTag=ENG.1&lang=EN&leagueTag=ENG.1&top)

One of my favourite stories is that of former Arsenal (currently at AC Milan) midfielder Mathieu Flamini having to play a large part of the season - including the Champions League final against Barcelona! - at left back. The next season he was starring the midfield and the following season he was given big money to play in Italy.

Flamini really took his chance to play with great determination - and no complaining.
There are no guarantees in football - but some United youngsters are about to get a unique opportunity to take their careers to a new level.

Beckham has right attitude about England World Cup roster spot:

"I do not fear being axed for the World Cup. If I don't make the squad it's not going to stop me supporting the team,'' he said.

"Nothing is guaranteed, I have discovered that is true in my career. But if I can be part of it then it will be amazing.

"Everybody knows how much I love playing for my country but the manager will pick a squad he thinks will win the competition. That has to be the way.

"If I am not part of that, of course I'd be upset but it is something I would still respect. It would be because the manager felt it was right in terms of his system and having the best players in the team."

(Source > http://m.espn.go.com/soccer/story?w=190ia&storyId=709132&i=TOP&topslot=1)

I love Beckham. I have always loved his professionalism.

The only problem I have ever had with him was when former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson guaranteed him a spot in the first eleven. I thought his game was too specialized for that. I thought he'd be great coming off the bench.

And I never minded his big, big fame - like so many others in the world.

The thing about him is that - despite his good looks - he has always worked extremely hard and been serious about his football.

That's why I think that the current England manager should sacrifice a roster spot for him: he has the mentality Capello wants.

On the surface Beckham may no longer look to be among the best players in the world but there is something about him that may bring out the best in his team in South Africa.

Manchester United assistant Mike Phelan rates Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko as ideal for the English league:

"I'm sure there are a number of teams looking at him. Are we one on them? We are looking at talent all of the time and we are in there with the rest of them,'' Phelan said.

"He showed his threat in the game at Old Trafford and he appeals because he is a tall, skillful boy and in some ways he is an ideal player for the English league.

"He has stature, his feet are good and he is producing some good performances. I am sure everybody has looked at him.''

(Source > http://m.espn.go.com/soccer/story?storyId=709139&leagueTag=ENG.1&lang=EN&leagueTag=ENG.1&top)

My take:

To be sure - Dzeko has the size, skill and instinct to succeed at the next level.

He may well be the next Ibrahimovic.

In terms of his destination - the player himself has said that his dream is to play for AC Milan.

Can't blame him for that can we? Milan is a great city and it has a soccer pedigree that few clubs in the world can match.

I wish I was Dzeko: A beautiful soccer life is ahead of him - whether it's in England or Italy.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Messi goals and skills 2009

It's all about talent for this Croatian Albanian Footballer:

A great promo vid. Check it out:



Looks like a good player to me. Good skills, good left foot.

I really like the soundtrack here:

"All about money
All about cars
All about clothes..."

Pretty moving words - but you know what gets you all of that stuff?

Talent.

That's right baby.

Talent.

No talent - no money, no car, no clothes.

But it's "about" more than just getting all of those things.

Maxing out on your talent - no matter how far you get - gets you guess what?

Happiness.

Satisfaction.

A feeling inside.

That's really what it's "about".

Click. Clack.

Zaidan - Holland's next great player?

Check out his promotional video:



Zaidan is only six but he looks like he has a future. I like the little nutmeg.

And btw - nice production quality on the video. These videos are becoming less and less "amateur".

Good thing - because the best players in the world want to go from amateur to pro.

Friday, December 4, 2009

The next Ronaldo

Video: Messi takes the ball from Kaka:

Here's a quick video clip:



It's not much to look at you might think. And it's so brief. But in this little moment we have both reality and symbolism.

The reality is that Messi is not a one-dimensional skill player. He has desire. He wants the ball back. He will work hard, chase after it. Tackle! Yes tackle.

The symbolism is that Messi has taken the ball from a former Best Player - Kaka won the FIFA World Player award in 2007.

So Messi is both taking the ball and taking power in the pantheon of football greats.

Ahead of World Cup draw Beckham says England are ready to face the best:

"It's always good to be seeded and be up there with the best teams in the world but in the World Cup it's not about staying away from certain teams.

"If you want to go all the way in the competition you have to come up against them at some point. You are going to have to beat the best teams and the best players so it doesn't really matter when you come up against them.'' (Source > Soccernet.com)

And you can face the best when you have the best. England currently have three of the 10 best players in the world according to our worldwide fan poll here at bestplayerintheworld.com:

Lionel Messi 45% (1,620 votes)
Cristiano Ronaldo 21% (750 votes)
Steven Gerrard 6% (211 votes)
Andres Iniesta 4% (141 votes)
Kaka 3% (103 votes)
Fernando Torres 3% (98 votes)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 3% (104 votes)
Frank Lampard 2% (72 votes)
Wayne Rooney 2% (73 votes)
Andrei Arshavin 2% (59 votes)

So England have more than enough ammunition to bring home the big trophy from South Africa.

Wenger happy that Xavi cracked the Ballon d'Or top three:

Here's a little clip to remind you all of the greatness of Xavi: of his control, vision, passing:



Here's what Wenger said of his choices for the Best Player in the World on Arsenal.com:

"I would say Messi, Xavi or Ronaldo," Wenger told arsenal.com. "Because Xavi for me was the best passer in Europe.

"He had the best final ball in Europe on the statistics and you want that to be rewarded as well." (BlogSource > Tribal Football)

Wenger would love that about Xavi - his passing. Wenger's Arsenal teams are built around precision passing.

And we love Xavi here too.

We don't begrudge Messi his Ballon d'Or win but we remind you that Wenger is the second big manager in as many weeks to come out in support of the Barca midfielder. Last week it was Inter manager Jose Mourinho calling Xavi the best player in the world.

Here is where Xavi stands today - Friday December 4, 2009, 620am Eastern Standard Time - in worldwide fan voting on bestplayerintheworld.com:

Lionel Messi 45% (1,620 votes)
Cristiano Ronaldo 21% (749 votes)
Steven Gerrard 6% (211 votes)
Andres Iniesta 4% (141 votes)
Kaka 3% (103 votes)
Fernando Torres 3% (97 votes)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 3% (104 votes)
Frank Lampard 2% (72 votes)
Wayne Rooney 2% (73 votes)
Andrei Arshavin 2% (59 votes)
Ronaldinho 2% (57 votes)
Cesc Fabregas 1% (38 votes)
Didier Drogba 1% (36 votes)
14. Xavi Hernandez 1% (29 votes)
Nemanja Vidic 1% (24 votes)
Samuel Eto'o 1% (34 votes)
Franck Ribery 1% (24 votes)
Luka Modric 1% (22 votes)
David Villa 1% (19 votes)
Robinho 1% (19 votes)
Iker Casillas <1% (16 votes)
Arjen Robben <1% (13 votes)
Karim Benzema <1% (14 votes)
Sergio (Kun) Aguero <1% (10 votes)
Petr Cech <1% (10 votes)
Gianluigi Buffon <1% (9 votes)
Ashley Young <1% (11 votes)
Emmanuel Adebayor <1% (8 votes)
Rio Ferdinand 0% (0 votes)
Mauro Matias Zarate <1% (1 votes)
Nani 0% (0 votes)
John Terry 0% (0 votes)
Juninho 0% (0 votes)
Arda Turan 0% (0 votes)
Carles Puyol 0% (0 votes)
Francesco Totti 0% (0 votes)

Total Votes: 3,634

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Messi and Ronaldo discuss Ballon d'Or win:

In this Marcatoon video:



Can anyone contribute a Spanish translation?

Totti praises Messi for enduring pain and making it to the top:

This is from Goal.com and FrancescoTotti.com - where Totti writes:

“Messi is a colleague I hold in high esteem. He is a unique player who is able to set a game alight in the blink of an eye.

“He has the tricks of a fantasista, he is lighting quick and scores like an out-and-out hitman.

“Messi is very strong and he is an example that must push us all into never giving up because of what he went through as a child.”

Totti of course refers to the fact that Messi was underdeveloped as a child and was forced to leave Argentina for Barcelona in order to receive growth hormone treatments which his parents and his club were unable to afford.

Did Barca know all along that they had a future Ballon d'Or winner on their hands?

Video: Messi and Ibrahimovic combine to show why they are two of the best players in the world:

Here's the footage of Ibra's great goal against Xerz:



It almost looks like a training ground goal.

Interesting to see Messi as the provider - with the through ball, while Ibra does a Messi by chipping in for a goal.

Here is where Messi and Ibrahimovic stand today, Thursday December 3, 2009 at 7:30am, in worldwide fan voting at bestplayerintheworld.com:

1. Lionel Messi 45% (1,615 votes)
Cristiano Ronaldo 21% (747 votes)
Steven Gerrard 6% (211 votes)
Andres Iniesta 4% (141 votes)
Kaka 3% (103 votes)
Fernando Torres 3% (95 votes)
7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic 3% (91 votes)
Frank Lampard 2% (72 votes)
Wayne Rooney 2% (72 votes)
Andrei Arshavin 2% (59 votes)
Ronaldinho 2% (57 votes)
Cesc Fabregas 1% (38 votes)
Didier Drogba 1% (36 votes)
Xavi Hernandez 1% (29 votes)
Nemanja Vidic 1% (24 votes)
Samuel Eto'o 1% (34 votes)
Franck Ribery 1% (24 votes)
Luka Modric 1% (22 votes)
David Villa 1% (19 votes)
Robinho 1% (19 votes)
Iker Casillas <1% (16 votes)
Arjen Robben <1% (13 votes)
Karim Benzema <1% (14 votes)
Sergio (Kun) Aguero <1% (10 votes)
Petr Cech <1% (10 votes)
Gianluigi Buffon <1% (9 votes)
Ashley Young <1% (11 votes)
Emmanuel Adebayor <1% (8 votes)
Rio Ferdinand 0% (0 votes)
Mauro Matias Zarate 0% (0 votes)
Nani 0% (0 votes)
John Terry 0% (0 votes)
Juninho 0% (0 votes)

Total Votes: 3,606

The next Messi

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Video: Messi wants every player to "aspire" to becoming the Best Player in the World - like him:

I like the footage of the boys dribbling through the streets. This is where the dream of becoming the best begins:

Video celebrates Messi's Ballon d'Or win:

It's in Spanish but it's a nice little video:



I like the segment of Messi as a boy.

High School star wants to become the next Messi:

Here's the video evidence of the young player's greatness:



Nice player. Looks like he needs a little more competition though to take his game to the next level.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Arsene Wenger may not produce the most trophies but he does produce some of the best players in the world:

Sportsnet.com looks at how Arsene Wenger has used the Carling Cup to develop Arsenal's great young players:

"The number of players who have come here and progressed to become top-class Premier League players is considerable - and one of the reasons is we have played them in the Carling Cup," Wenger said.

"This policy has been extremely successful - not necessarily in terms of winning the tournament, although we have been in the latter stages, but just because it is good preparation for the players to play in the Premier League.

"Denilson and Alex Song are two very relevant examples now. They both played in midfield during our 6-3 win at Anfield three seasons ago, and are classic cases of how much this competition prepares players for the top-flight.

"Alex, at the time, was not really a favourite player in some eyes - and what has happened since gives you belief they can do it.

"Against Liverpool, I discovered some more players who were capable of performing in a team who play at the very top level," he said.

"It was a high-quality game, the pace was very high and the decision-making had to be very quick."I was very pleased that someone like Craig Eastmond could cope with that. You never know when you see a boy in the reserves. When you go to a higher level, it is a difficult game and I was pleased to see young players make that step.

"People expected Francis Coquelin or Emmanuel Frimpong to be ahead of Eastmond and I can understand because those two boys deserve a chance too, but Eastmond looked to be very intelligent in his positioning and passing.

"When he plays right-back, his intelligence strikes you, how well he reads the game, so when we decided to move him into midfield those qualities came out."

"A player who has now left the club once said to me, 'It is very different at Arsenal because there is always a young player on your back, ready to take your place and that creates great pressure'. I told him you use that pressure to make yourself a better player," he said.

"When you have only experienced players, there is a little bit of hierarchy installed and expected, but with young players they keep you under pressure - they want to eat you, want to get in front of you.

"I believe this has to be good for the players in the team and the club as a whole."

It's official: Messi wins 2009 Ballon d'Or

It is Tuesday December 1st, 2009 and Lionel Messi has been named the Best Player in the World by France Football and all of the journalists in the world.

He beat last season's winner - Cristiano Ronaldo - by a comfortable margin.

Here are the final results from Francefootball.fr:

1. Lionel Messi (Argentine, FC Barcelone) : 473 points
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Manchester United puis Real Madrid) : 233 pts
3. Xavi (Espagne, FC Barcelone) : 170 pts
4. Andrès Iniesta (Espagnol, FC Barcelone) : 149 pts
5. Samuel Eto'o (Cameroun, FC Barcelone puis Inter Milan) : 75 pts
6. Kaka (Brésil, Milan AC puis Real Madrid) : 58 pts
7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Suède, Inter Milan puis FC Barcelone) : 50 pts
8. Wayne Rooney (Angleterre, Manchester United): 35 pts
9. Didier Drogba (Côte d'Ivoire, Chelsea): 33 pts
10. Steven Gerrard (Angleterre, Liverpool) : 32 pts
11. Fernando Torres (Espagne, Liverpool): 22 pts
12. Cesc Fabregas (Espagne, Arsenal) : 13 pts
13. Edin Dzeko (Bosnie, Wolfsburg) : 12 pts
14. Ryan Giggs (Pays de Galles, Manchester United) : 11 pts
15. Thierry Henry (France, FC Barcelone) : 9 pts
16. Luis Fabiano (Brésil, FC Séville), Nemanja Vidic (Serbie, Manchester United), Iker Casillas (Espagne, Real Madrid): 8 pts
19. Diego Forlan (Uruguay, Atletico Madrid) : 7 pts
20. Yoann Gourcuff (France, Bordeaux) : 6 pts
21. Andreï Archavine (Russie, Arsenal), Julio Cesar (Brésil, Inter Milan), Frank Lampard (Angleterre, Chelsea) : 5 pts
24. Maicon (Brésil, Inter Milan) : 4 pts
25. Diego (Brésil, Werder Brême puis Juventus Turin) : 3 pts
26. David Villa (Espagne, Valence), John Terry (Angleterre, Chelsea) : 2 pts
28. Franck Ribéry (France, Bayern Munich), Yaya Touré (Côte d'Ivoire, FC Barcelone) : 1 pt
30. Karim Benzema (France, Lyon puis Real Madrid): 0 pt

Out of interest, let's compare journalists votes with those of the fans of the world who have been voting at Bestplayerintheworld.com all year. Here are our results as of today:

Lionel Messi 45% (1,575 votes)
Cristiano Ronaldo 21% (737 votes)
Steven Gerrard 6% (211 votes)
Andres Iniesta 4% (141 votes)
Kaka 3% (100 votes)
Fernando Torres 3% (95 votes)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 3% (90 votes)
Frank Lampard 2% (71 votes)
Wayne Rooney 2% (71 votes)
Andrei Arshavin 2% (59 votes)
Ronaldinho 2% (56 votes)
Cesc Fabregas 1% (35 votes)
Didier Drogba 1% (34 votes)
Xavi Hernandez 1% (29 votes)
Nemanja Vidic 1% (23 votes)
Samuel Eto'o 1% (30 votes)
Franck Ribery 1% (24 votes)
Luka Modric 1% (22 votes)
David Villa 1% (19 votes)
Robinho 1% (18 votes)
Iker Casillas <1% (16 votes)
Arjen Robben <1% (13 votes)
Karim Benzema <1% (13 votes)
Sergio (Kun) Aguero <1% (10 votes)
Petr Cech <1% (10 votes)
Gianluigi Buffon <1% (9 votes)
Ashley Young <1% (11 votes)
Emmanuel Adebayor <1% (8 votes)
Rio Ferdinand 0% (0 votes)
Mauro Matias Zarate 0% (0 votes)

Total Votes: 3,533

The biggest discrepancy of course is Xavi Hernandez. We've been talking about this situation all year. The fans don't seem to appreciate how great a player Xavi really is. As recently as last week Inter coach Jose Mourinho called him the best player in the world and France Football has him at 3rd. But our poll has him at 14th.

We'll have to figure out why that is.

In the meantime, congratulations to Lionel Messi, who is now very close to calling himself the undisputed Best Player in the World.

The final step of course is winning the FIFA World Player of the Year.

In our opinion, he should win that one too.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Why are we already talking about the "next" Pato?

Yes Why? When Pato hasn't even really "made it" himself?

Here's a video of a pretty good player who I guess loves Alexandre Pato of AC Milan:



Nice player. Great soundtrack to the video.

Best players don't want to play for Man City:

Soccernet.com's Harry Harris is reporting that the Manchester City Football Club are having trouble attracting the best players in the world:

"Manchester City's bid for a marquee January signing is being thwarted because the world's top superstars claim the club is "not serious", so they are turning their backs on £200,000-a-week wages.

The world's richest club urgently need an injection of top class talent to reignite a season that is in danger of falling away with a Premier League record of seven straight draws."


This is hardly surprising. Even a great club like United is having trouble attracting and keeping the best players in the City of Manchester. So how is City going to do it?

I thought it was quite embarassing for both City and the City when Kaka refused a move there for what was a huge, huge amount of cash.

Now people will claim that City were able to sign Robinho away from Real Madrid and from under the noses of Chelsea - and here is the video evidence of that:



But the truth is - according to Harry Harris - that when Robinho was told he was not going to Chelsea but Manchester - he thought that meant United!

Zidane has a son who plays just like him:

We've been talking about the next Zidane. Well, the next Zidane could be a Zidane. Zizou's son Enzo looks just like Dad in his Real Madrid uniform.

Here's the video:



Could Enzo become the best player in the world?

Sure - why not?

At the very least he looks like he has a pro career ahead of him if he wants it.

But he's got to want it.

Being Zidane's son won't be enough on its own.

Madin Koroghli's big TV interview:

Here's the interview:



Madin struggles with his juggling for the live national TV audience but the game is not about that is it?

Becoming the Best Player in the World is not just about freestyling is it?

The footage they show of his movements against other players shows what a fine little player he is.

Madin's favourite players are Zidane, Messi and Benzema.

We'll be tracking him over the next number of years to see if he in fact can match the hype and become as good as either one of those great players.

That's a lot of pressure. We'll see if he can handle that pressure and grow up properly as a player and as a boy.

The French are looking for the next Zidane:

It's always about "the next one" in the world of football.

In Portugal it's a search for the next Ronaldo. In Brazil, the next Pele, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka. In Argentina, the next Maradona, Messi. But in France, they are looking for the next Zidane.

Here is a video promoting Madin Koroghli, who wants to become the next great French player:

7th Best Player in the World - Ibrahimovic - scores winner in El Classico:

Yesterday Barcelona beat Real Madrid 1-0 at the Nou Camp to win Spain's big derby. Coming off the bench to score for Barcelona was summer acquisition Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Here's a video of the goal:



A nice finish - with his left foot no less.

At the beginning of the sequence he shows for the ball, takes a touch with his right foot and passes it off. When the ball goes to the right flank, he plots his move and then attacks the open space at just the right time, managing to stay onside and surprise the Real Madrid defense.

It is a classic Dani Alvez looping cross and Ibrahimovic surprisingly lets the ball come across his body then finishes with his left foot.

A confident finish to be sure.

But what marks this goal for me is the deceptive run which fools the Real defense.

Ibra is a thinker and that's why he is one of the best players in the world.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Larsson says that El Classico game has the best players in the world:

We got this from TotalBarca who got it from BarcaTV:

It is former Barca player Henrrik Larsson speaking about today's El Classico (the derby between Barcelona and Real Madrid):

“It is probably the most spectacular game in the world. The best players in the world are on the pitch at the same time. And according to me, Barcelona are playing the very best. It is fast football with constant line passing between Xavi and Iniesta, and with Messi, Ibra and Henry up ahead, it cannot be better. I hope we win the derby.”

The 10 finalists for 2009 Ballon d'Or are...

Les dix finalistes du Ballon d'Or France Football 2009 (par ordre alphabétique) :

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Manchester United puis Real Madrid)
Didier Drogba (Côte d'Ivoire, Chelsea)
Samuel Eto'o (Cameroun, FC Barcelone puis Inter Milan)
Steven Gerrard (Angleterre, Liverpool)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Suède, Inter Milan puis FC Barcelone)
Andres Iniesta (Espagne, FC Barcelone)
Kaka (Brésil, Milan AC puis Real Madrid)
Lionel Messi (Argentine, FC Barcelone)
Wayne Rooney (Angleterre, Manchester United)
Xavi (Espagne, FC Barcelone)

Découvrez le nom du Ballon d'Or France Football 2009, le classement final, le détail des votes... dans France Football du mardi 1er décembre.

> France Football

The next Messi

A football player in Sweden has a dream:

Here is Brian Massa's promotional video:



He has been on trial at Nottingham Forrest and wants to become the next Robinho.

He has that dream.

Here's what the song says in his video:

"I had a dream. Now the dream is real to me..."

Robinho himself has the dream of becoming the Best Player in the World.

If Robinho becomes the best and Brian becomes as good as Robinho, well...

That would make Brian the Best Player in the World.

Nice dream.

Every player has that dream.

Freestyling his way to becoming the next Ronaldinho:

Anmar dons the Ronaldinho Milan #80 jersey and shows us his command over a football:



We think that in the future every - every - pro player will need to be a freestyler of some sort. Players will need those basic skills. Yes - even doing push-ups with a ball on one's neck - like Anmar.

Of course becoming the Best Player in the World entails much more than that but to be the best you really do need the best possible technique...

7 year old wants to become the next Messi:

This video comes to us from Karlsruhe, Germany:



He's not Messi yet but he's young. And the important thing is that he has the desire. It sounds kind of clche but we believe that anyone can become the best player in the world if they have the desire, do the right things - and of course get a little bit lucky. Even Messi was lucky to get picked up by Barca and receive those growth hormones.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Everybody wants to be the Best Player in the World:

Players want to show you their stuff everywhere: on the field, in the street, in a living room.

With any object: a soccer ball or any ball at all.

In this video, a player from Kosovo shows us his stuff with a tennis ball, in his stocking feet. Over one minute of dazzling(?) footwork. Could he become the next Messi?

You be the judge:

What IMG does for footballers/soccer players:

If you're going to become the Best Player in the World you might at some point need someone to "handle you", manage you. You might need an agent, or an agency. International Management Group (IMG) may be the biggest such agency in the world.

Here is what they say about themselves at IMG.com:

IMG brings it leadership in sports marketing and media to the global super-sport of soccer. We combine our passion for sports with broad expertise and worldwide resources to help elite athletes, world renowned clubs, and leagues and federations increase their presence on soccer’s vast international stage.For forty years, IMG has been instrumental in building the prestige and popularity of global sports like golf and tennis. We apply those same winning strategies to all aspects of soccer, from client management to television production and event hospitality. Our capabilities include:

Media rights and distribution
Sponsorship
Tours
Player management
Live production and filming
TV program development
Stadium commercialization
Hospitality program management


Sounds like IMG is the complete package...

Friday, November 27, 2009

Forbes Enlists Castrol Rankings to Find World's Top 10 Emerging Footballers:

From Forbes.com:

"We enlisted the help of Castrol Rankings to help us identify soccer's top emerging stars: young players who could have a major impact on the 2010 World Cup. Castrol bills itself as the world's first soccer rankings system based on player performance in Europe's top five leagues (La Liga, Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1, including play in the Champions League."

Here is Forbes'/Castrol's Emerging Top 10:

1. Gonzalo Higuaín
2. Karim Benzema
3. Sergio Agüero
4. Mesut Özil
5. Marcelo
6. Alexandre Pato
7. Neven Subotic
8. Marko Marin
9. Nicklas Bendtner
10. Moussa Sissoko

Chelsea close to £100m deal to sign Aguero

From Soccernet.com:

Intermediaries have put together a £100 million "package" deal to take Argentine international superkid Sergio Agüero to Chelsea in the January transfer window.

The £100 million includes the player's salary which will be scaled up to reach nearly £250,000-a-week in the final years of the proposed Chelsea playing contract, the £40 million transfer plus near-£10m add-ons related to Chelsea's success, meaning a near £50 million transfer fee, with added agents' fees.

The 21-year-old Atlético Madrid striker Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo, has privately indicated "yes" to a move that will make him one of the highest paid players in the world, with a transfer fee that will smash the British record of £32.5m for Robinho by some distance.

Chelsea almost signed the boy who is engaged to Diego Maradona's daughter, Giannina, with whom he has a son, in the summer, but the deal broke down over the players £6m-a-year wage demands on top of Atletico demanding a £60m transfer fee.

However Chelsea know they have to meet the player's wage demands to make a spectacular signing in the January window while their FIFA ban is still suspended.

Talks have been on-going for several weeks between a host of middlemen intent on making the deal happen, and there is now room for optimism that it will advance sufficiently in the next four weeks to be in a position for the move to take place in January.

ESPN Soccernet has been told by one of the insiders involved with the deal that there is far more flexibility on all sides than there was been in the summer when the deal broke down.

My source revealed: "There is still more talking to do, but let's see. There is now a possibility, although with so many complications involved you would have to say it's still 50-50 whether it will finally go though."

Chelsea are keen to capture one of the best young players in world football at a time when their transfer ban has been suspended pending a FIFA hearing. They urgently need to make significant signings at a time when the big clubs usually only make interim moves and wait for the summer.

Roman Abramovich cannot take the risk of waiting until the end of the season in case Chelsea are banned from making any signings, so needs to act now, and intermediaries have stepped up the process of attempting to bring Aguero to the Bridge.

Chelsea are not as reluctant to invest in Agüero's salary as much as they are about Atletico's asking price of £60 million, which has dropped to £55 million. Talks are aimed at trying to get the fee below £50 million and closer to £40 million.

A compromise of money offered up in relation to Chelsea's success is the logical route to resolve the differences in the transfer fee valuation.

Chelsea would be prepared to hit the £50 million mark, if it included add-ons related to success, given that Real Madrid paid £80 million for Ronaldo, and the Argentine is a few years younger.

Chelsea would ideally like to sign Aguero for six years, but five years is normally regarded as a long-term deal, but as the player is so young at 21, they be might be able to stretch to six years or more, even if the final years are optional.

While Chelsea might start to pay the youngster £6 million-a-year, that will rise quickly to £10 million and that will go even higher in the final year of his deal.

Overall, including bonuses, and given Chelsea's propensity for silverware, he can realistically expect to yield £50 million from his personal terms and image rights, to add to the near £50 million transfer fee, totally an eye watering £100 mllion.

The player's agent Bruno Satin, head of the football division of IMG, one of the world's biggest sports agencies, based in Chiswick in London, is one of a number of agents working on negotiating an acceptable fee with Athletico.

Manchester City are the only club that could possibly compete with Chelsea at this level of transfer, but my source tells me: "The player doesn't want to go there, and Manchester City do have a problem with trying to sign players at this level, as they did with Kaka, because they are not serious yet. They will be, but they are not just yet."

For that reason Atletico have to be realistic to drop their asking price as Chelsea are the only buyers at that kind of price. That's why there is greater optimism of a deal going through than there has been at any other time.

A transfer of £40 million plus a near £10 million add ons based on Chelsea's success during the duration of the players contract would be one of the biggest deals in world football. The entire financial package won't be far short of the Real Madrid deals for Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo.

My source added: "Money was the problem the deal fell through in the summer, and the money is the problem now, but we shall see, as I said, the talks are on going and everyone seems to want to find a solution."

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has targeted Agüero as his only major signing during the January transfer window. The club have been given permission to buy and sell after the Fifa-imposed transfer ban, following the Gaël Kakuta affair, was frozen pending an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Agüero scored two spectacular goals during the recent 2-2 draw with Chelsea in the Champions League. After the match Ancelotti joked that he would like to sign the exciting striker. But before that Ancelotti admitted Chelsea have been "monitoring" this player for some time.

Chelsea also remain interested in Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery, who would command a similar hefty investment in fees and salaries, and who is also greatly admired by Ancelotti.

But my source indicates that Ribery will be hard, if not impossible, to prise from Bayern in January, but will be a far more realistic target in the summer, if Chelsea win their appeal with FIFA. Chelsea's determination to secure the Aguero deal as they are aware that if their CAS appeal fails, they cannot make another signing for some time.

Agüero will not be eligible for Chelsea in the Champions League this season, having already played for Atlético, but Abramovich wants to win back the Premier League title from Manchester United, and the club are concerned about losing Didier Drogba and Solomon Kalou to the African Nations in January.

At 15 years and 35 days Aguero beat Maradona's record as the youngest player to make debut in Argentinean top flight. In May 2006, he joined Atlético Madrid for £16m.

He lost his place in the Argentine attack during the chaotic final stages of qualification, and needs to be playing at the highest level to play in the World Cup finals in South Africa, rather than with struggling Athletico, a factor that Maradona has made clear to him, and one of the reasons the player is keen...

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Could Madin Mohammad Become the Best Player in the World?

People say that he's been scouted by Real Madrid:



What does he have that other young players don't have?

amazing 6 year old

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Little and big Ronaldinho

THE NEXT MESSI BECKHAM RONALDO:

This kid has got what it takes:



I love his low-to-the-ground running style and the way he attacks his opponents with the ball.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Mourinho is so Right: Xavi Should Win the Ballon d'Or:

We truly love and believe in Messi but we have to agree with Mourinho on this one - that Xavi is the Best Player In The World. But wait - Iniesta is a genius too! That Barca, so loaded with talent.

But to get back to what Mourinho is getting at - yes - it is true - Xavi drives the bus at Barca - the magic bus:

We got this from Total Barca and they got it from Roberto Scarpini of Italian TV ‘Inter Channel’:

"Inter Milan’s coach Jose Mourinho said yesterday that if it was him, he will “give the Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball) to (Barcelona midfield maestro) Xavi Hernadez” although he predicted that “they will not even grant him the Silver or Bronze award”.

“You don’t have to understand football to know that he is a phenomenon. He is not an individualistic player and neither does he score goals (regularly) for his team but he plays 60 matches a season and is (to me) the best of the 45 players in that list. He never rests, plays all the minutes, and trains at the age of 30 as if he was 17 years old, the age when I met him while I was with Barcelona,” adding further that Xavi is the kind of player that tends to be overlooked, “Socially, he doesn’t involve himself in the type of events that can promote his name in the eye of the media. He has won everything, absolutely everything and the only thing that remains for him to conquer is the World Cup with the Spanish selection. I think it would be a crime if an absolutely fantastic player like him were to end his career, in three or four years time, without being given the recognition he deserves,” Mourinho insisted.

---

And where do you - The Fans Of The World - have Xavi in your voting at bestplayerintheworld.com? 15th? Really? Behind Ronaldinho?

Here is the voting as of 5:27pm Eastern Standard Time on Monday November 23, 2009:

Lionel Messi 45% (1,552 votes)
Cristiano Ronaldo 21% (726 votes)
Steven Gerrard 6% (208 votes)
Andres Iniesta 4% (139 votes)
Kaka 3% (97 votes)
Fernando Torres 3% (93 votes)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 3% (89 votes)
Frank Lampard 2% (71 votes)
Wayne Rooney 2% (71 votes)
Andrei Arshavin 2% (59 votes)
Ronaldinho 2% (54 votes)
Cesc Fabregas 1% (34 votes)
Didier Drogba 1% (34 votes)
Samuel Eto'o 1% (29 votes)
15. Xavi Hernandez 1% (27 votes)
Nemanja Vidic 1% (23 votes)
Franck Ribery 1% (24 votes)
Luka Modric 1% (22 votes)
David Villa 1% (19 votes)
Robinho 1% (18 votes)
Iker Casillas <1% (16 votes)
Arjen Robben <1% (13 votes)
Karim Benzema <1% (13 votes)
Sergio (Kun) Aguero <1% (10 votes)
Petr Cech <1% (9 votes)
Gianluigi Buffon <1% (9 votes)
Ashley Young <1% (9 votes)
Emmanuel Adebayor <1% (8 votes)
Other: 0% (0 votes)

Total Votes: 3,476

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Xavi Sees Ballon d'Or as a Team Award for Barca:



"I honestly believe it must go to a Barca player for the tremendous year we had. We deserved it. This award would be the recognition for the whole team. I honestly think Messi has the numbers to win it and that would be justified.

"But this year we’re honoured that Andres and I, as former canteranos, are among those nominated along with Toure and Henry, and not forgetting Eto’o, nominated as a Barca player. And there could be more like Alves, or canteranos like Puyol and Pique." (Source)

Everyone Thinks Lionel Messi Is The Best Player In The World:



Kaka:

"I think it is probably for Messi won everything with Barcelona last year," the Brazilian told Spanish sports journal Marca. (Source)

Maldini:

He then went on to compliment Barcelona star Lionel Messi, comparing him to another Argentine great."Sometimes he reminds me of [Diego] Maradona and he's certainly one of the best players I've ever seen," Maldini concluded. (Source)

The Next Kaka is Lucas Piazon:

He even looks like him:



From Goal.com:

Following England's 1-0 loss to Brazil, the British press have speculated that a host of the Premier League's biggest clubs are noting the young talent emerging from South America, and Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal have all been linked with 15-year-old prodigy Lucas Piazon.

Piazon, a forward from Sao Paulo, has been lauded as a future star for the Selecao, and has been likened to former FIFA World Player of the Year Kaka. (Source)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

When you are the Best Player In The World - Like Lionel Messi - you can dribble through an entire team - and score:

This old video is a reminder of why Messi is The Best Player In The World:



Here is where Messi stands in Best Player In The World voting at bestplayerintheworld.com as of 7:00 am Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday November 17, 2009:

Lionel Messi 45% (1,538 votes)
Cristiano Ronaldo 21% (716 votes)
Steven Gerrard 6% (205 votes)
Andres Iniesta 4% (137 votes)
Kaka 3% (96 votes)
Fernando Torres 3% (92 votes)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 3% (89 votes)
Frank Lampard 2% (71 votes)
Wayne Rooney 2% (70 votes)
Andrei Arshavin 2% (59 votes)
Ronaldinho 2% (53 votes)
Xavi Hernandez 1% (27 votes)
Nemanja Vidic 1% (23 votes)
Didier Drogba 1% (33 votes)
Cesc Fabregas 1% (34 votes)
Samuel Eto'o 1% (29 votes)
Franck Ribery 1% (23 votes)
Luka Modric 1% (21 votes)
David Villa 1% (19 votes)
Robinho 1% (18 votes)
Iker Casillas <1% (16 votes)
Arjen Robben <1% (13 votes)
Karim Benzema <1% (12 votes)
Sergio (Kun) Aguero <1% (10 votes)
Petr Cech <1% (9 votes)
Gianluigi Buffon <1% (9 votes)
Ashley Young <1% (9 votes)
Emmanuel Adebayor <1% (8 votes)

Total Votes: 3,439

So Many Trophies: Messi Wins Onze d'Or award



MessiFanatic.com has reported that Lionel Messi has won the Onze d'Or award.The award is chosen by readers of French magazine, Onze Mondial for the player of the year in Europe. Previous winners include Michel Platini, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo. (Source)

I didn't know about this award. How many trophies do we really need for the Best Player In The World?

Monday, November 16, 2009

Speed: Wales star Ramsey reminds me of Fabregas

If Gary Speed thinks Wales and Arsenal player Aaron Ramsey could become as good as Cesc Fabregas, could he then also become the Best Player In The World? And if so, what kind of attributes would he need?:



From Soccernet.com:

Former Wales captain Gary Speed was full of praise for Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey after his five-star performance in victory over Scotland.

The Gunners midfielder ran the show and scored a brilliant goal as Wales thumped Scotland 3-0, but for the last two years he has had to cope with the burden of being labelled the next Ryan Giggs. Now comparisons with team-mate Cesc Fabregas are coming to the fore.

Speed said: "He is very special and lovely to watch, just a fantastic footballer. He reminded me of Cesc Fabregas, especially when he went through for his goal. If anyone can nurture a talent, it is Arsene and, in that respect, Ramsey is very, very lucky."

Wales star David Edwards echoed Speed's words and claimed that the Arsenal prodigy can be as good as Fabregas one day.

"Aaron is not 19 until Christmas time so he's going to be a great player," said Edwards. "He's going to be one of the best in Europe when he gets into his prime. They say he's a little bit like Cesc Fabregas was at his age.

"I played against him last week and he was probably Arsenal's best player. He ran the show. He's got such a mature head for a lad of his age. He brings the best out of everyone. The way we played does give him a little bit more space and when he gets in there he's deadly.

"He can go on to be as good as Fabregas, definitely. When Fabregas got into the team he was 16 or 17 and Aaron is only 18. Cesc Fabregas is one of the best midfielders in the world and it's a big comparison to make. But Aaron has got little touches like Fabregas has, and when I played against him last week, for Wolves, he really did run the show and I thought - dare I say - he was better than Fabregas in that game.

"Everyone knows Aaron is going to be a great player if he can keep his feet on the floor. I think he can because he has a very mature head on his shoulders for such a young age so he's going to be a top player. He oozes class and confidence and when you watch him on the ball he never seems rushed and he is just a joy to watch." (Source)

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Ronaldo Admits That Messi Is The Favourite To Win The Ballon d'Or:



“The favourite would be a Barcelona player, because to win an individual trophy like this you have to take into account things won with the collective,” Ronaldo told France Football. “It could be won by many Barcelona players, such as Xavi, Eto’o or Messi. Clearly, Messi is the favourite, and why not? If he wins it, he deserves it.” (Source)

When You Are The Best Player In The World You Need To Show Leadership:



USA today reports that Argentina coach Diego Maradona was happy with Messi's performance in the friendly versus Spain yesterday:

Messi was more involved in Argentina's play than in recent World Cup qualifiers, when the young Barcelona forward received criticism for failing to emulate his club play for country. But he didn't appear to stand out and was replaced by winger Diego Perotti in the 84th.

"Leo played marvelously well today, little by little he's becoming the team's leader," Maradona said at Vicente Calderon Stadium. "It's what I want, what I hope for." (Source)

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Video: How Little Lionel Messi Does It:

9 minutes of great dribbling, passing and goals:



As good as every other player is, Messi still has to be the Best Player In The World for 2009.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Capello Says Rooney Is Ready To Be Captain Of England:



Soccernet.com is reporting that if John Terry is not fit Wayne Rooney will captain England in its friendly against Brazil:

If Terry does not recover in time Capello will make Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney captain. It would be the first time the 24-year-old has done the job for England, having had only limited experience of the role with his club.

But Capello is in no doubt England's best player is the right man for the job.

"If John Terry doesn't play, it will be Wayne Rooney,'' said Capello. "He is fit and he is ready to be a captain.'' (Source)

Trivia: What Would It Cost Messi To Leave Barca?

Answer the question:



Read the answer:

Soccernet.com reports that:

'Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed that Inter Milan made an audacious attempt to buy Argentina striker Lionel Messi during the summer.

Messi, who won the Champions League, Primera Liga and Copa del Rey treble last season is a leading contender to win the Ballon d'Or and is one of Barcelona's prized assets.

When asked if Internazionale president Massimo Moratti had expressed an interest in buying Messi, Laporta told Corriere dello Sport: "Yes he did."

"But there is nothing to talk about. Messi is not for sale, he (Moratti) must forget about it."

In September, Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona that will keep him at the European champions until 2016 and includes a massive €250 million buy-out clause. (Source)'

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Fantastic 6 Year Old Player:

He really does have great moves - with the ball and with his body. He is fast with those moves too and alert. Look at the way he has been taught to look up and around while doing his moves:



That kid is well trained. You can tell. But what are his prospects?

If there are more 6 year olds like him around the world, what makes the difference? What makes one player an ordinary player in the future and what makes another player "the" best player or one of the best players in the world?

Bayern Still Want Big Bucks For Franck Ribery - The 17th Best Player In The World:

But Soccernet.com reports that Ribery is only willing to go to Madrid:

"Bayern want 70 million euros, and that is unrealistic. In any case, the player retains his desire to play in Spain rather than England. His head has been turned by Real Madrid's interest and he is still waiting to see if they will buy him.

"I have got to say he doesn't want to go to England, and it's far too early to say what Real Madrid might do - whether they will have the cash after spending so much on Kaka and Ronaldo. If nothing happens with Real then perhaps Ribery will change his mind.

"If he does change his mind about England then he won't go to Manchester City, because Chelsea offers him the best option in terms of potential achievement, so the door could be open at
Chelsea, depending on what they decide to do in the transfer market."


Great player no? But the fans of the world have him at 17th in Best Player In The World rankings at bestplayerintheworld.com as of 6:00am Eastern Standard Time on Thursday November 12, 2009:

Lionel Messi 45% (1,523 votes)
Cristiano Ronaldo 21% (711 votes)
Steven Gerrard 6% (205 votes)
Andres Iniesta 4% (134 votes)
Kaka 3% (94 votes)
Fernando Torres 3% (92 votes)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 3% (86 votes)
Frank Lampard 2% (68 votes)
Wayne Rooney 2% (69 votes)
Andrei Arshavin 2% (59 votes)
Ronaldinho 2% (52 votes)
Xavi Hernandez 1% (27 votes)
Nemanja Vidic 1% (23 votes)
Didier Drogba 1% (33 votes)
Cesc Fabregas 1% (31 votes)
Samuel Eto'o 1% (28 votes)
17. Franck Ribery 1% (20 votes)
Luka Modric 1% (19 votes)
David Villa 1% (19 votes)
Robinho 1% (18 votes)
Iker Casillas <1% (16 votes)
Arjen Robben <1% (13 votes)
Karim Benzema <1% (12 votes)
Sergio (Kun) Aguero <1% (10 votes)
Petr Cech <1% (9 votes)
Gianluigi Buffon <1% (9 votes)
Ashley Young <1% (9 votes)
Emmanuel Adebayor <1% (8 votes)

Total Votes: 3,397

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Who is the Best Player in the World Today?

The Best Player In The World as of 7:30am on Wednesday November 11, 2009, as voted on by the players of the World at bestplayerintheworld.com, is FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi:

Lionel Messi 45% (1,519 votes)
Cristiano Ronaldo 21% (710 votes)
Steven Gerrard 6% (204 votes)
Andres Iniesta 4% (134 votes)
Kaka 3% (94 votes)
Fernando Torres 3% (92 votes)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 3% (86 votes)
Frank Lampard 2% (68 votes)
Wayne Rooney 2% (69 votes)
Ronaldinho 2% (52 votes)
Andrei Arshavin 2% (59 votes)
Xavi Hernandez 1% (27 votes)
Nemanja Vidic 1% (23 votes)
Franck Ribery 1% (20 votes)
Luka Modric 1% (19 votes)
Didier Drogba 1% (33 votes)
Cesc Fabregas 1% (31 votes)
Samuel Eto'o 1% (28 votes)
David Villa 1% (19 votes)
Robinho 1% (18 votes)
Iker Casillas <1% (16 votes)
Arjen Robben <1% (13 votes)
Karim Benzema <1% (12 votes)
Sergio (Kun) Aguero <1% (10 votes)
Petr Cech <1% (9 votes)
Gianluigi Buffon <1% (9 votes)
Ashley Young <1% (9 votes)
Emmanuel Adebayor <1% (7 votes)

Total Votes: 3,390

The next Torres



He's four years old.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Home With My Sick Son And Watching "Goal 2 : Living The Dream"

If you're going to have the flu and stay home from school and work you may as well make the most of it, get yourself closer to "The Dream".

Ian and I watched Goal 2. Here's the trailer:




Pretty good movie. Great footage of all of those great Galacticos players. Ian and I still can't figure out how they got Santiago Munez into all of those on-field moments.

**NEW**CRISTIANO RONALDO//REAL MADRID

Great video: look at his feet. they're crazy!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Who is the Best Player in the World Today?

As of 6:00am Eastern Standard Time on Monday November 9, 2009, as voted on by the fans of the world at bestplayerintheworld.com, the Best Player In The World is still Barcelona's Lionel Messi. Here are the rankings:

Lionel Messi 45% (1,516 votes)
Cristiano Ronaldo 21% (708 votes)
Steven Gerrard 6% (203 votes)
Andres Iniesta 4% (132 votes)
Kaka 3% (93 votes)
Fernando Torres 3% (91 votes)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 3% (86 votes)
Frank Lampard 2% (68 votes)
Wayne Rooney 2% (68 votes)
Ronaldinho 2% (51 votes)
Andrei Arshavin 2% (58 votes)
Xavi Hernandez 1% (26 votes)
Nemanja Vidic 1% (22 votes)
Franck Ribery 1% (20 votes)
Luka Modric 1% (19 votes)
Didier Drogba 1% (32 votes)
Cesc Fabregas 1% (29 votes)
Samuel Eto'o 1% (28 votes)
David Villa 1% (19 votes)
Robinho 1% (18 votes)
Iker Casillas <1% (16 votes)
Arjen Robben <1% (13 votes)
Karim Benzema <1% (12 votes)
Sergio (Kun) Aguero <1% (10 votes)
Petr Cech <1% (9 votes)
Gianluigi Buffon <1% (9 votes)
Ashley Young <1% (9 votes)
Emmanuel Adebayor <1% (7 votes)

Total Votes: 3,372

Do You Have To Be A Magician To Become The Best Player In The World?:

Just searching the web for Best Player content as I do every morning and I have come up with this great video comparing three great players: Ronaldo, Messi and Ribery:



Those three players may well be the top three magicians of their generation but when you ask people about who the Best Player In The World is, one of the three gets much fewer mentions. That player is Franck Ribery. It just goes to show you that the discerning fan sees some gaps in Franck's game. Now of course it hasn't hurt Messi and Ronaldo to have played for Champions League winning teams. I wonder how the fans of the world would rate Ribery if for instance he joined Real Madrid next season and led them to the Champions League title?

Sunday, November 8, 2009

The Ronaldo Rocket: HOW TO SHOOT A FREEKICK LIKE CRISTIANO RONALDO

Players of the world, this is a very useful tutorial from UEFA on how to hit a freekick like the 2008 Best Player In The World, Cristiano Ronaldo:

Liverpool Have Two Of The Six Best Players In The World But Will They Have To Sell Them?:

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres sit third and sixth in bestplayerintheworld.com rankings but people are starting to speculate that the club may need to sell them if they crash out of the lucrative Champions League.

Liverpool owner Tom Hicks claims that will never happen:

"None of our star players will be sold, regardless of results.

"The club is doing very well due to rapidly growing commercial revenues.

"We have significant investor interest and want to make sure that we pick high-quality partners.

"We are happy with the way things are going financially but we hoped things would be better on the pitch.''

(Source)

Who is the Best Player in the World Today?

As of 6:00 am Eastern Standard Time on Sunday November 8, 2009, as voted on by the fans of the world at bestplayerintheworld.com, the Best Player In The World is still Barcelona's Lionel Messi:

Lionel Messi 45% (1,506 votes)
Cristiano Ronaldo 21% (706 votes)
Steven Gerrard 6% (203 votes)
Andres Iniesta 4% (132 votes)
Kaka 3% (93 votes)
Fernando Torres 3% (90 votes)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 3% (86 votes)
Frank Lampard 2% (68 votes)
Wayne Rooney 2% (68 votes)
Ronaldinho 2% (51 votes)
Andrei Arshavin 2% (58 votes)
Xavi Hernandez 1% (26 votes)
Nemanja Vidic 1% (22 votes)
Franck Ribery 1% (20 votes)
Luka Modric 1% (19 votes)
Didier Drogba 1% (32 votes)
Cesc Fabregas 1% (29 votes)
Samuel Eto'o 1% (28 votes)
David Villa 1% (19 votes)
Robinho 1% (18 votes)
Iker Casillas <1% (16 votes)
Arjen Robben <1% (13 votes)
Karim Benzema <1% (12 votes)
Sergio (Kun) Aguero <1% (10 votes)
Petr Cech <1% (9 votes)
Gianluigi Buffon <1% (9 votes)
Ashley Young <1% (9 votes)
Emmanuel Adebayor <1% (7 votes)

Total Votes: 3,359

Saturday, November 7, 2009

How To Become The Best Player In The World: Grow Up Playing Barefoot In Favelas:

Now Chelsea's Brazilian centreback Alex is by no means the Best Player In The World but he has made it to the big time - after growing up "playing football barefoot on the dusty streets of the favelas in Rio de Janiero."

Perhaps he played in scenes like this one:



‘Some kids had shoes and some kids didn’t,’ says Alex. ‘So we all played the same, in bare feet, just so the kids who didn’t have shoes didn’t feel bad. It was a tough place. No proper roads, no running water. I guess what you would expect.'

‘Then one day there was this tournament, organised by Nike. They gave out boots to all the kids, organised an event on proper pitches. We just played in the street. And I was spotted by a couple of scouts, who then organised a few trials with some clubs.' (Source)

How To Become The Best Player In The World: Use Innovative Training Techniques:

Like KidKalani from Brazil:



I love the trampoline idea and the bungy work is some serious stuff - but KidKalani is a serious young player. And if you watch the video to the end, you can see the results of the hard work. People wonder why Brazilians produce so many great players and so many World Cups. The answer?: they are crazy about the game; they want it more; they are willing to do anything and everything - for as long as possible - to get better and better at the beautiful game.

Who is the Best Player in the World Today?

As of 6:00am Eastern Standard Time on Saturday November 7, 2009, as voted by the fans of the world at bestplayerintheworld.com, the Best Player In The World is by a large margin still Lionel Messi of Barcelona. Here are the votes:

Lionel Messi 45% (1,502 votes)
Cristiano Ronaldo 21% (702 votes)
Steven Gerrard 6% (203 votes)
Andres Iniesta 4% (132 votes)
Fernando Torres 3% (89 votes)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 3% (86 votes)
Kaka 3% (92 votes)
Frank Lampard 2% (68 votes)
Wayne Rooney 2% (68 votes)
Ronaldinho 2% (51 votes)
Andrei Arshavin 2% (58 votes)
Nemanja Vidic 1% (22 votes)
Franck Ribery 1% (20 votes)
Luka Modric 1% (19 votes)
Xavi Hernandez 1% (26 votes)
Robinho 1% (18 votes)
Didier Drogba 1% (32 votes)
Cesc Fabregas 1% (29 votes)
Samuel Eto'o 1% (28 votes)
David Villa 1% (19 votes)
Iker Casillas <1% (16 votes)
Arjen Robben <1% (13 votes)
Ashley Young <1% (9 votes)
Petr Cech <1% (9 votes)
Emmanuel Adebayor <1% (6 votes)
Gianluigi Buffon <1% (9 votes)
Sergio (Kun) Aguero <1% (10 votes)
Karim Benzema <1% (12 votes)

Total Votes: 3,348

Friday, November 6, 2009

Henry the Best? The Limits of the Castrol Rankings:

Proclaiming itself "the world’s first truly objective football rankings system," the inaugural Castrol Rankings have declared that Barcelona's Thierry Henry was the best performing footballer in the world last year:

"Thierry Henry’s efforts in front of goal are what have made him the stand-out player of the last year. The French international scored five goals and provided three assists during Barca’s successful Champions League campaign and has contributed a further 18 goals and eight assists in La Liga during the 12-month period all of which have helped him become the world’s best performing player.The key to Henry’s success has been the accuracy of his shooting with the forward finding the target with an impressive 70% of his shots compared to an average of 42% across the five main European leagues."

The Castrol rankings claim to use "objective analysis and 100% accurate data to measure every pass, every tackle and every single move of over 2000 players and games every year, which means that the Castrol Ranking are based on actual performance."

We really like Henry - and he may well have been the Best Player In The World when he was younger and at Arsenal - but now? No. Not for us.

For us he is now a more peripheral player, a supporting player to the genius of Iniesta, Messi and Xabi - who are ranked well ahead of Henry at bestplayerintheworld.com.

In fact we agree with one commenter on the Castrol Rankings Blog that perhaps Manchester United's Wayne Rooney is now a better player than Henry because he has more real impact on games - just like Henry did at Arsenal all of those beautiful years ago.

And we also agree with another commenter who talked about the importance of the players around Henry at Barca - particularly Iniesta. It was Iniesta after all (set up by Messi) who put Barca past Chelsea in the dying seconds of the stiffest test they had in the Champions League. This for us is the real measure of the best performing player and The Best Player In The World - performing - and delivering - in the critical moment:



And this is why we have coaches and fans to subjectively assess players.

And this is why a computerized system may never fully work in assessing players.

We do think that the Castrol Rankings are a good tool. They might aid a bit in an assessment.

But in the end the best source to consult regarding Henry's performance versus say Iniesta's - is - without a doubt - the Pep Guardiola Engine.

If Coach Pep had to choose between Henry and Iniesta as top performer last year, who do you think he'd choose?

Chelsea put off by Sergio Aguero's £40m price tag

"Aguero is one of world football's brightest talents but his price tag could halt Chelsea's pursuit as a slump in the value of the pound means that a transfer worth £32 million not so long ago is now in excess of £40 million."

(Source: http://m.espn.go.com/soccer/story?storyId=694994&leagueTag=ENG.1&lang=EN&leagueTag=ENG.1&top)

Wenger: Van Persie is the best striker in the League

"Arsene Wenger has claimed Robin Van Persie is the deadliest striker in the Premier League and that he would not swap him for anyone else in world football." (Source)

I wonder where RVP ranks in terms of the best players in the world?

Could 7 Year Old Brazilian Futsal Star Become The Best Player In The World?

Sure. Why not? Check out this beautiful futsal footage from Brazil - the home of the beautiful game:

12 Year Old Wants To Become The Next Steven Gerrard:

He can do it. Why not? Check out his video:



Sometimes it's enough to want your dream enough - to get your dream. Gerrard himself was not rated among the very best English players when he was young - but look at what he accomplished.

Who is the Best Player in the World?

As of 6:00am Eastern Standard Time on Friday December 6, 2009 - as voted on by the fans of the world at bestplayerintheworld.com - it's still Lionel Messi:

Lionel Messi 45% (1,500 votes)
Cristiano Ronaldo 21% (700 votes)
Steven Gerrard 6% (202 votes)
Andres Iniesta 4% (132 votes)
Fernando Torres 3% (89 votes)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 3% (86 votes)
Kaka 3% (90 votes)
Frank Lampard 2% (68 votes)
Wayne Rooney 2% (68 votes)
Ronaldinho 2% (51 votes)
Andrei Arshavin 2% (58 votes)
Nemanja Vidic 1% (22 votes)
Franck Ribery 1% (20 votes)
Luka Modric 1% (19 votes)
Xavi Hernandez 1% (26 votes)
Robinho 1% (18 votes)
Didier Drogba 1% (32 votes)
Cesc Fabregas 1% (25 votes)
Samuel Eto'o 1% (28 votes)
David Villa 1% (19 votes)
Iker Casillas <1% (16 votes)
Arjen Robben <1% (13 votes)
Ashley Young <1% (9 votes)
Petr Cech <1% (9 votes)
Emmanuel Adebayor <1% (6 votes)
Gianluigi Buffon <1% (9 votes)
Sergio (Kun) Aguero <1% (10 votes)
Karim Benzema <1% (12 votes)

Total Votes: 3,337

Remembering The First Ronaldo - Three Time Best Player In The World:

Great video compilation. Great Brazilian music:

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Virtual Best Player In The World: See How FIFA 10 Messi Does It:

Messi Wants The Ballon d'Or:

"It is a very special award and would be really nice [to win] because every player would like to have it. It would be very special for me too. I honestly never dreamed of it," Messi declared.

(Source)

History > How They Became The Best Players In The World >

(BETA)

1992 - Marco VAN BASTEN (NED)

1991 - Lothar MATTHAEUS (GER)

Our Polls:

> Vote Now For The 2009 Best Player In The World

> What Do You Like Best About Messi?

> What Do You Hate Most About Ronaldo?

> Who Hates Ronaldo The Most?

> Who Is Franck Ribery Better Than?

> Which Shirt Will Ronaldo Wear At Real Madrid?

> If Ronaldo Is Worth 80 Million Pounds, What Is The Best Player In The World Lionel Messi Worth?

> Which Of The Following English Players Could Possibly Become The "Best Player In The World"?

> Should The Best Players Stay In Brazil Until Age 21?

> Which Team Should Kaka Join In Order To Become The Best Player In The World Once Again?

Who is the Best Player in the World?

As of 6am Eastern Standard Time Thursday November 5, 2009, the Best Player In The World is still Lionel Messi - as voted on by the players and fans of the world at bestplayerintheworld.com:

Lionel Messi 45% (1,494 votes)
Cristiano Ronaldo 21% (700 votes)
Steven Gerrard 6% (202 votes)
Andres Iniesta 4% (131 votes)
Fernando Torres 3% (89 votes)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 3% (86 votes)
Kaka 3% (89 votes)
Frank Lampard 2% (68 votes)
Wayne Rooney 2% (67 votes)
Ronaldinho 2% (51 votes)
Andrei Arshavin 2% (57 votes)
Nemanja Vidic 1% (22 votes)
Franck Ribery 1% (20 votes)
Luka Modric 1% (19 votes)
Xavi Hernandez 1% (26 votes)
Robinho 1% (18 votes)
Didier Drogba 1% (32 votes)
Cesc Fabregas 1% (24 votes)
Samuel Eto'o 1% (28 votes)
David Villa 1% (19 votes)
Iker Casillas <1% (16 votes)
Arjen Robben <1% (13 votes)
Ashley Young <1% (9 votes)
Petr Cech <1% (9 votes)
Emmanuel Adebayor <1% (6 votes)
Gianluigi Buffon <1% (9 votes)
Sergio (Kun) Aguero <1% (10 votes)
Karim Benzema <1% (11 votes)

Total Votes: 3,325

Next Ronaldo Gets Older and Better:



Ian and his Dad seem to like Ronaldo.

On Youtube, Ian's latest video has 500 views. Someday he could get millions of views - like Ronaldo (7,047,676 views):