Xavi - Ronaldo does NOT deserve Ballon d'Or 2016

 

'Messi is the best!'

Xavi adamant Ronaldo does NOT deserve Ballon d'Or Cristiano Ronaldo did not deserve to win the Ballon d'Or despite his trophy success in 2016, according to Barcelona legend Xavi.

The Real Madrid forward won the prize for the fourth time on Monday after he received more than double the voting points of Barca superstar Lionel Messi, who came second.

Ronaldo described last season as the best of his career after he won the Champions League with Madrid and Euro 2016 with Portugal, having become the Spanish club's all-time top goalscorer in October 2015.

VIA: Goal

Cristia-NO! The 11 countries that rejected Ronaldo in Ballon d'Or voting 2016

Cristia-NO! The 11 countries that rejected Ronaldo in Ballon d'Or voting

Cristiano Ronaldo was handed the prestigious Ballon d'Or for the fourth time in his career on Monday, but 11 countries within the voting process completely overlooked the Real Madrid forward. 

Journalists from across the globe - 173 in total - were asked to cast their vote for a deserving winner, and they overwhelming favoured Ronaldo.

They awarded five points to their first pick, three to second and one to the man positioned in third.

Eleven, 11, nations opted to leave Real Madrid’s main man off their shortlist entirely: Uruguay, Turkmenistan, Swaziland, Namibia, Romania, Libya, Iran, Central African Republic, Bolivia, Cape Verde and Andorra.

VIA: Goal

Everton 2-1 Arsenal: Williams strikes late to down Gunners

Everton 2-1 Arsenal: Williams strikes late to down Gunners.

Ashley Williams proved to be the unlikely hero for 10-man Everton as they handed Arsenal their second Premier League defeat of the season by securing a dramatic 2-1 victory at Goodison Park on Tuesday.

Alexis Sanchez's 12th league goal of the season had given the visitors a 20th-minute lead, though his free-kick needed a deflection off the unfortunate Williams to find the net.

Everton levelled just prior to the interval when full-backs Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman conjured up an equaliser, the former's right-footed cross setting up the latter to head home from close range.

Williams then popped up with a winner, although that was not the end of the drama. Phil Jagielka saw red in injury time after picking up a second booking, as the hosts just about held firm in a frantic finish.

VIA: Goal

Cristiano Ronaldo's fourth win reveals the truth about the Ballon d'Or 2016

The Ballon d'Or - and the The Best FIFA Men's Player - is a team prize.

At this point, it probably isn't very controversial anymore to say that Messi is the better player in this duopoly of all-time greats - a pair of players better than any the game has ever seen, whose primes have coincided rather magnificently.

For a half-decade, there was a genuine debate to be had. But Ronaldo, who will be 32 in less than two months, is no longer the player he once was. He remains massively and improbably productive, of course. So far, he has scored a combined 51 goals in 55 appearances for Real Madrid and Portugal in 2016. Messi, however, has 58 goals in 61 appearances.

That's a slightly better goals-per-game ratio of 0.95 to Ronaldo's 0.93. The difference between them these days, however, lay in another statistic: assists. Messi has 32 to Ronaldo's 17.

Via: Yahoo