Barcelona's Lionel Messi has ended the year just as he started it, at number one in the Castrol Rankings. Messi has also extended his advantage over nearest rival Cristiano Ronaldo to a massive 291 points in the latest data which has been released today.
Why Messi Should Win The Ballon d'Or
The year 2010 will no doubt go down as a vintage year even in the catalogue of genius of Barcelona's number 10. Messi has scored at a rate that no other player has matched in the past 20 years and if pure stats are to be factored into the equation he will retain the newly named FIFA Ballon d'Or.
His 34-goal tally in La Liga in season 2009-10 was the joint-highest goals total for a season in the last 20 years in any of the top five European leagues.
Messi's tally equals the feats of Ronaldo (Barcelona 1996-97), Alan Shearer (left) (Blackburn Rovers 1994-95) and Andy Cole (Newcastle United 1993-94) who all netted 34 BUT in a 42-game season.
The last player to better Messi’s tally was Mexican striker Hugo Sanchez (left), who netted 38 goals in 36 games for Real Madrid in the 1989-90 campaign.
But Messi has raised his game even further; the Argentinean wizard scored more goals over the last 12 months than any other player in the top five leagues (42) and Champions League (12).
If you compare Messi's league total to all the full season totals in football history, only five other players have ever scored more in a single campaign in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
Josip Skoblar of Marseille in France (44 in 1970-71)
Pongo Waring of Aston Villa (49 in 1930-31)
Ted Harper of Blackburn Rovers (43 in 1925-26)
Dave Halliday of Sunderland (43 in 1928-29)
Dixie Dean of Everton (44 in 1931-32 and 60 in 1927-28)
It’s clear to see how important Messi’s goals are to the Barcelona team effort too, with the team winning 22 of the 24 league games in which he scored last year and drawing the other two.
Don't go putting the house on Messi winning the Ballon d'Or just yet though. Awards like these are subjective and history shows that in a World Cup year a star performer from the finals usually walks away with the prize.
Ballon d'Or Winners In World Cup Years
2006 - Fabio Cannavaro - Italy's winning captain
2002 - Ronaldo - Scored Brazil's two goals in final
1998 - Zinedine Zidane - Scored twice for France in World Cup final
1994 - Hristo Stoichkov - Joint top World Cup goalscorer
1990 - Lothar Matthaus - Germany's winning Captain
If Not Messi Then Who Will The Ballon d'Or?
Much of the smart money is on Messi's Barcelona team-mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta who were key figures in Spain's World Cup triumph. The brilliant midfield duo both sit outside of the Castrol Rankings top 10 – coming in at 18th and 50th respectively
In 2010, Xavi completed the most passes in the top five European leagues (2,704). He was also untouchable in the Champions League with 1,025 successful passes – the equivalent of over 100 successful passes per game.
Untouchable on the ball, Xavi was let down by his defensive work and goal scoring; he won just four tackles in the last 12 months, the lowest total amongst the 51 Champions League midfielders who played at least 500 minutes, and scored only six times in 33 La Liga games, with no goals coming in the Champions League.
There's no doubt that Iniesta will remember the year fondly, having scored the winning goal at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, but he only managed five La Liga goals in the year. He battled injuries in the early part of 2010 which have negatively impacted on his overall score but he was also let down by his creative play, managing just six assists.
What About Wesley Sneijder?
Before the 2010-11 season began, Holland's Wesley Sneijder was considered the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or. He scooped the treble for Inter and was instrumental in the Dutch charge to the World Cup final.
Although 2010 was Sneijder's best year in the game he only reached his highest place of 78th in the Castrol Rankings in September. He made more assists than any player in September (6) that month of any player during 2010 but has since dropped to 195th place.
This was mainly due to his inability to break through opposition defences; he has had the most shots without finding the back of the net in the top five leagues this season.
Who Have Been The Best Performers In Europe In 2010?
Premier League – Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Despite suffering with injuries 'Lamps' has been consistent throughout 2010. No midfielder scored more goals than Lampard (17) in Europe’s top five leagues.
Ligue 1 – Nene (Paris Saint-Germain)
The Brazilian midfielder created 107 goal scoring chances for his teammates in 2010, more than any other midfielder in the top five European leagues
Bundesliga – Lucas Barrios (Borussia Dortmund)
Borussia Dortmund’s Paraguayan striker made an impressive impact at both ends of the pitch in 2010. He delivered four assists, scored 18 times and made 22 successful tackles, more than any other striker in the German top division.
Serie A – Antoni Di Natale (Udinese)
The Udinese striker (20th) scored more goals (28) than any other player in Serie A over the last 12 months. His relentless approach saw him terrorise the opposition ‘keepers, unleashing the most shots on target (76) in Italy’s top-flight in 2010.
Youngsters To Follow in 2011
1) David De Gea (40th in Castrol Rankings)
De Gea averaged more than four saves per game in the last 12 months, placing him well ahead of the league average of 3.1.
2) Gareth Bale (57th in Castrol Rankings)
The Welsh wizard has made a massive impact in the Champions League, despite only playing this season. He completed more crosses (18) and successful dribbles per game – 4.7, higher than Messi’s average of 4.5 in the competition – than any other player managed in the whole of 2010.
3) Toni Kroos (62nd in Castrol Rankings)
Kroos completed 77% of his passes in the final third of the pitch, a ratio no other player could match.
Raul's Renaissance
It may have taken the Real Madrid legend a while to adjust to the Bundesliga but two hat-tricks in the space of 28 days helped his new club Schalke immensely.
Against Koln he netted his second hat-trick in Schalke's final game before the winter break. Raul fired in five shots on target, a joint league high for a player in a single game so far this season in the Bundesliga, and he terrorised the Koln defence for 88 minutes. He also misplaced only three of the 20 passes that he attempted as he racked up 2,198 Castrol Ranking points.
Source: www.castrolfootball.com/rankings
Why Messi Should Win The Ballon d'Or
The year 2010 will no doubt go down as a vintage year even in the catalogue of genius of Barcelona's number 10. Messi has scored at a rate that no other player has matched in the past 20 years and if pure stats are to be factored into the equation he will retain the newly named FIFA Ballon d'Or.
His 34-goal tally in La Liga in season 2009-10 was the joint-highest goals total for a season in the last 20 years in any of the top five European leagues.
Messi's tally equals the feats of Ronaldo (Barcelona 1996-97), Alan Shearer (left) (Blackburn Rovers 1994-95) and Andy Cole (Newcastle United 1993-94) who all netted 34 BUT in a 42-game season.
The last player to better Messi’s tally was Mexican striker Hugo Sanchez (left), who netted 38 goals in 36 games for Real Madrid in the 1989-90 campaign.
But Messi has raised his game even further; the Argentinean wizard scored more goals over the last 12 months than any other player in the top five leagues (42) and Champions League (12).
If you compare Messi's league total to all the full season totals in football history, only five other players have ever scored more in a single campaign in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
Josip Skoblar of Marseille in France (44 in 1970-71)
Pongo Waring of Aston Villa (49 in 1930-31)
Ted Harper of Blackburn Rovers (43 in 1925-26)
Dave Halliday of Sunderland (43 in 1928-29)
Dixie Dean of Everton (44 in 1931-32 and 60 in 1927-28)
It’s clear to see how important Messi’s goals are to the Barcelona team effort too, with the team winning 22 of the 24 league games in which he scored last year and drawing the other two.
Don't go putting the house on Messi winning the Ballon d'Or just yet though. Awards like these are subjective and history shows that in a World Cup year a star performer from the finals usually walks away with the prize. Ballon d'Or Winners In World Cup Years
2006 - Fabio Cannavaro - Italy's winning captain
2002 - Ronaldo - Scored Brazil's two goals in final
1998 - Zinedine Zidane - Scored twice for France in World Cup final
1994 - Hristo Stoichkov - Joint top World Cup goalscorer
1990 - Lothar Matthaus - Germany's winning Captain
If Not Messi Then Who Will The Ballon d'Or?
Much of the smart money is on Messi's Barcelona team-mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta who were key figures in Spain's World Cup triumph. The brilliant midfield duo both sit outside of the Castrol Rankings top 10 – coming in at 18th and 50th respectively
In 2010, Xavi completed the most passes in the top five European leagues (2,704). He was also untouchable in the Champions League with 1,025 successful passes – the equivalent of over 100 successful passes per game.
Untouchable on the ball, Xavi was let down by his defensive work and goal scoring; he won just four tackles in the last 12 months, the lowest total amongst the 51 Champions League midfielders who played at least 500 minutes, and scored only six times in 33 La Liga games, with no goals coming in the Champions League.
There's no doubt that Iniesta will remember the year fondly, having scored the winning goal at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, but he only managed five La Liga goals in the year. He battled injuries in the early part of 2010 which have negatively impacted on his overall score but he was also let down by his creative play, managing just six assists.
What About Wesley Sneijder?
Before the 2010-11 season began, Holland's Wesley Sneijder was considered the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or. He scooped the treble for Inter and was instrumental in the Dutch charge to the World Cup final.
Although 2010 was Sneijder's best year in the game he only reached his highest place of 78th in the Castrol Rankings in September. He made more assists than any player in September (6) that month of any player during 2010 but has since dropped to 195th place.
This was mainly due to his inability to break through opposition defences; he has had the most shots without finding the back of the net in the top five leagues this season.
Who Have Been The Best Performers In Europe In 2010? Premier League – Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Despite suffering with injuries 'Lamps' has been consistent throughout 2010. No midfielder scored more goals than Lampard (17) in Europe’s top five leagues.
Ligue 1 – Nene (Paris Saint-Germain)
The Brazilian midfielder created 107 goal scoring chances for his teammates in 2010, more than any other midfielder in the top five European leagues
Bundesliga – Lucas Barrios (Borussia Dortmund)
Borussia Dortmund’s Paraguayan striker made an impressive impact at both ends of the pitch in 2010. He delivered four assists, scored 18 times and made 22 successful tackles, more than any other striker in the German top division.
Serie A – Antoni Di Natale (Udinese)
The Udinese striker (20th) scored more goals (28) than any other player in Serie A over the last 12 months. His relentless approach saw him terrorise the opposition ‘keepers, unleashing the most shots on target (76) in Italy’s top-flight in 2010.
Youngsters To Follow in 2011
1) David De Gea (40th in Castrol Rankings)
De Gea averaged more than four saves per game in the last 12 months, placing him well ahead of the league average of 3.1.
2) Gareth Bale (57th in Castrol Rankings)
The Welsh wizard has made a massive impact in the Champions League, despite only playing this season. He completed more crosses (18) and successful dribbles per game – 4.7, higher than Messi’s average of 4.5 in the competition – than any other player managed in the whole of 2010.
3) Toni Kroos (62nd in Castrol Rankings)
Kroos completed 77% of his passes in the final third of the pitch, a ratio no other player could match.
Raul's Renaissance
It may have taken the Real Madrid legend a while to adjust to the Bundesliga but two hat-tricks in the space of 28 days helped his new club Schalke immensely.
Against Koln he netted his second hat-trick in Schalke's final game before the winter break. Raul fired in five shots on target, a joint league high for a player in a single game so far this season in the Bundesliga, and he terrorised the Koln defence for 88 minutes. He also misplaced only three of the 20 passes that he attempted as he racked up 2,198 Castrol Ranking points.
|
1
(1)
| L. Messi | FORWARD | BARCELONA | PRIMERA LIGA | 1256 | |
|
2
(2)
| C. Ronaldo | FORWARD | R MADRID | PRIMERA LIGA | 965 | |
|
3
(5)
| F. Lampard | MIDFIELDER | CHELSEA | PREMIER LEAGUE | 925 | |
|
4
(3)
| G. Higuaín | FORWARD | R MADRID | PRIMERA LIGA | 904 | |
|
5
(4)
| W. Rooney | FORWARD | MAN UNITED | PREMIER LEAGUE | 891 | |
|
6
(7)
| R. Van der Vaart | MIDFIELDER | TOTTENHAM | PREMIER LEAGUE | 875 | |
|
7
(15)
| D. Berbatov | FORWARD | MAN UNITED | PREMIER LEAGUE | 847 | |
|
8
(13)
| D. Villa | FORWARD | BARCELONA | PRIMERA LIGA | 841 | |
|
9
(9)
| F. Malouda | MIDFIELDER | CHELSEA | PREMIER LEAGUE | 840 | |
|
10
(6)
| L. Barrios | FORWARD | DORTMUND | BUNDESLIGA | 821 | |
|
11
(11)
| M. Gómez | FORWARD | BAYERN | BUNDESLIGA | 815 | |
|
12
(14)
| D. Alves | DEFENDER | BARCELONA | PRIMERA LIGA | 813 | |
|
13
(10)
| M. Hummels | DEFENDER | DORTMUND | BUNDESLIGA | 808 | |
|
14
(17)
| C. Tévez | FORWARD | MAN CITY | PREMIER LEAGUE | 798 | |
|
15
(16)
| D. Drogba | FORWARD | CHELSEA | PREMIER LEAGUE | 794 | |
|
16
(18)
| C. Puyol | DEFENDER | BARCELONA | PRIMERA LIGA | 791 | |
|
17
(8)
| A. Robben | MIDFIELDER | BAYERN | BUNDESLIGA | 787 | |
|
18
(23)
| X. Hernández | MIDFIELDER | BARCELONA | PRIMERA LIGA | 785 | |
|
18
(20)
| L. Almeida da Cunha | MIDFIELDER | MAN UNITED | PREMIER LEAGUE | 785 | |
|
20
(21)
| S. Ramos | DEFENDER | R MADRID | PRIMERA LIGA | 782 |