As expected, the most expensive team seems to be made up of Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Chelsea players, with just Ferdinand from Man United and Eto’o from Inter slightly bucking the trend.
Adebayor from Man City is the most pricey player in the Premier League but is still a couple of million behind the front men, Ibrahimovic and Eto’o, and Ferdinand earns around the same as Kolo Toure, but appears just above him on the list.
Value for money? Or not? Let us know with a comment.
In the least shocking turn of events since Eddie Izzard turned up in a dress and declared “I’m actually a man!”, to a rousing response of “yes, we can tell!”, Lionel Messi ran away with the FIFA World Player of the Year award.
It was never really in doubt, and you can enjoy some footage of his dazzling feet after the jump.
There was a feather in the cap for the Premier League, however, as the greatest compiled team on the planet this year featured five stars from these shores. Here’s how it lined up:
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), John Terry (Chelsea), Nemanja Vidic (Man United), Patrice Evra (Man United), Xavi (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
It’s hard to know how to correctly refer to the next decade - “the tens”? The “two thousand and tens”? The “teens”? No one honestly knows. Either way, below is a compiled list of the greatest players of the “noughties”… or the “noughts”… or just “the last ten years”. Your choice.
Feel free to express your agreement with a comment.
Oh yeah, or your disagreement.
Goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon (Parma, Juventus)
Lots of goallies have impressed in the last ten years. Iker Casillas is pretty nifty, Shay Given deserves a moist handshake for sticking with Newcastle through thick and thin, and Petr Cech was on magnificent form before skullgate. Plus, of course, there’s always that lovable Oliver Kahn character. But, looming large above all of those safe-handed warriors is Gianluigi Buffon - probably the best around, who also benefits from looking a little bit like Al Pacino in Frankie and Johnny.
Right Back, Cafu (Roma, AC Milan)
Cafu played in something like four World Cups, became the most capped Brazilian footballer of all time, and he spent pretty much all of those games absolutely rocketing up and down the right hand side. If there has been a better right back in the last decade, feel free to pipe up, and hats shall be eaten. But FYI: “Gary Neville” is not a correct answer.
Centre Back, Fabio Cannavaro (Parma, Inter, Juventus, Real Madrid)
It was tricky coming up with the right pairing at the back, especially once it became clear that very few outfield players (ie. none) were going to be English. Rio and Sol very nearly made it - and there was even silly talk of JT - but in the end, Italy’s finest took the honour. So far, Cannavaro is the only defensive player to be crowned Fifa World Player of the Year. Hence, yeah, he’s pretty good.
Now down to a shortlist of five - Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kaka, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi - the Fifa World Player of the Year is going to be unveiled to a cooing public on December 21st. Just in time for Crimbo.
Of course, having recently snagged the Ballon d’Or, the big money should go on Messi, but it’s not entirely in the bag just yet. According to the stats, only six of the last ten winners have managed to do the Fifa and Ballon double.
Begging the question, who would YOU pick as the Fifa World Player of the Year?
As predicted, Lionel Messi absolutely cruised it to the European Footballer of the Year title, scoring 473 out of a possible 480 points, making it the most sweeping victory in the history of the Ballon d’Or.
Cristiano Ronaldo oozed into second place, Xavi came third, whilst the only two English representatives - Wazza and Stevie G - came 8th and 10th. Above is some evidence backing up the big Messi win, set to rather dramatic music.
Plus, some back-patting for this little chap… presumably
Like a spotty teenage asthmatic wearing his dad’s suit, standing outside a nightclub in the rain, literally begging the bouncers to let him in even though he has no proof of identification, the Irish FA have apparently been pleading with Sepp Blatter to please let them be in the World Cup. Please. Like most bouncers, Blatter’s answer appears to be a rather firm “no, sod off”.
“Naturally they were unhappy with what happened and asked very humbly whether they could be team number 33.”
Tomorrow should see Lionel Messi snagging the Ballon d’Or, beating off stiff competition from the shortlist of ten, which includes: Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Steven Gerrard, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andres Iniesta, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Xavi. The last two Englishmen to win the thing were Michael Owen and Kevin Keegs.
In the zany world of transfers, Ancelotti has left everyone gagging for breath, after declaring something about how he won’t be signing anyone in January, even with the window soon to slam down on quivvering Chelsea fingers.
And club rebels Nani and Babel have been blessed/cursed with rather mixed fortunes, with Sir Alex Ferguson insistent that he won’t be letting Nani leave - despite some suggestive coughing from Milan and Benfica. Whilst Ryan Babel - currently the recipient of the Benitez silent treatment - isn’t wanted by the men in shorts at Bayern Munich.
Does a spell in lonely exile await the gobby Dutchman?
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