As 24SoccerPicks.com predict - Cristiano Ronaldo won the Golden Ball of FIFA. After 69 goals in 2013, few were surprised. Moreover, after the organizers extended the voting right in the moment when Ronaldo score a hat-trick of Sweden in the barrage for qualifying of World Cup 2014. The year was undoubtedly exceptional for Real Madrid star personally.
Premium of FIFA for № 1 is not the only individual award for Ronaldo. A month ago he received the award for the best by the magazine 'World Soccer'. Everyone expected the Portuguese to take the prize. Especially in the recent weeks. No one was surprised by the award for Ronaldo. The only surprise were the tears in his eyes, which leak in front of the whole world.
Ronaldo's victory, however, shows and regulate something that many do not realize now - change of the criteria. This award is no longer what we all know as the Golden Ball of "France Football", presented by the votes of journalists. Now vote and the coaches and national team captains and it completely changed the criteria for the winner.
Before there was crucial not only what you did personally but how you presented your team. You've won trophies , you help for the trophies. Now this remains in the background. Because the winner of five trophies for the year - Franck Ribery was the last of the three finalists. Even Lionel Messi, who was not at his usual level due to injuries last year overtook him.
With the inclusion in the voting of the coaches and the players, the focus has shifted to assessing an individual's performance. And everyone, even those who do not like football so much knows that there is nothing more impressive than the scoring of goals. The interventions of the defenders, goalkeepers are rarely remembered as much as the goals.
FIFA simply defines "the best" player of the year and so. Under these criteria is fully deserved Cristiano Ronaldo to take the prize. Ronaldo did not raise any Cup in 2013 with his Real Madrid nor Primera or the Champions League, or even the Copa del Rey.
But he dominated on the field with every performance. The goals, the hattricks, spectacle. He decided himself the matches. As in in the barrage with Sweden for qualifying of World Cup 2014. Scored 69 goals and if we add that in 2013 Messi was not to his level normally, it's quite normal that the second of last years to became first.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a brand that is worth more than 50 million annually. And with his partner Irina Sheik are one of the most famous couples in the world not only in sports but also in general. For six years Cristiano Ronaldo fights with Lionel Messi for the Golden Ball. This year, the Portuguese beat, but Michel Platini is extremely right. He said: "Next year would again be a battle between Ronaldo and Messi, the next will be between Messi and Ronaldo, and the following between Ronaldo and Messi."
And while we wait for the growth of players like Neymar or as Luis Suarez to score Liverpool in the Champions League, we will see this duopoly for a long. Because the criteria have been quite different. The chances for players like Cannavaro, Zamer, Beckenbauer or even the keeper Yashin to win are now minimal. Just the criteria are different.
