Credit to Zlatan for applauding Ronaldo, bet the media barely mention that, nice thing to do when he's clearly going to be disappointed for his nation.

Milan players tonight:

Zapata did really good, Colombia drew 0-0 against Holland.
Birsa scored against Canada for Slovenia, match ended 1-0.
Honda scored the winning goal in Japan's 3-2 victory against Belgium.

It was one of the best pieces of sportsmanship I think I've ever seen. Some suggested he might have been geeing up his team mates, but it was clearly sporting congratulatory applause not that half bent palm-pumping inspirational applause to try and instill belief in team mates.

As for Ronaldo, he tore Sweden apart. They're a decent team, not great, but decent, but he absolutely destroyed them and made them look rank amateurs.

He nailed the FIFA footballer of the year (Ballon D'or doesn't actually exist any more) tonight on a football level, and while I've always preferred him over Messi, he did it on the international stage tonight at a time his country needed the very best of him. He proved himself, in my eyes, the best player on earth.

If he doesn't win the blasted thing now, he quite simply never will and the award has nothing to do with football.

One big problem though; while us Joe Punters clearly see Ron is deserving of this award this year, if Thiago Silva himself voted him third behind Ibra and Messi, it's pretty clear to see Ron's popularity, or lack of, in the football world itself may prove to be his downfall.

He deserves it on a football level, but as a person he just ain't that popular.

And this is why it's purely a popularity contest.

If Paolo Maldini never won the award ... Not much to expect.

But if it will stop CR from crying, then yeah give it to him

Nice post Danny and what Kurt said here. That's the problem. Sneijder should have won it a couple of years back too.

Completely agreed.

I think you all knew my stance on Ronaldo until the last couple seasons and especially in the Messi vs Ronaldo debates but He's totally won me over. I'm not your stubborn-to-death type person, I admit it when I'm wrong or when I've changed a long held opinion. Ronaldo has earned my respect [for now!] and beside that, he's the best right now by a distance.

You guys should stop whining though (no offense). he's going to win it, last night it became official.

Do defenders ever win these awards?

Did Cannavaro once a few years back or did I make that up?

Cannavaro won it solely based on a handful of simply brilliant and flawless World Cup performances. There were better players that season than him imo, especially at club level but that World Cup tipped the scales in his favour.

Ronaldo or Ibra deserve this thing this year. If Messi wins it it will become an even bigger joke than it already has been for the last few years. Imo, messi only totally deserved it once out of the times he won it

Only once? Come on! Messi is Messi. He totally deserved it in 2009 and 2011, and perhaps maybe in 2010 even though Sneijder and Milito were completely overlooked. The only time he didn't deserve it was last year, but I guess there wasn't anyone special people could vote for.

This time Ronaldo deserves it, no doubt. I just feel bad for Ibra, cos to me he's right there after Messi and Ronaldo as the best in the world right now.

Robinho scored the winner last night for Brazil, 2-1 against Chile

Goals (including stupid dance in the end)

Come on! Kaka is the best player right now, by a distance. He scores penalties with his head for Pete's sake!

I don't get your sarcasm, acid.

I love how you guys love tο completely **** on things. How is the Ballon d'Or a joke for ****'s sake???? Seriously!! Because Messi won it? Oh my, what a total travesty!! I would have given one to Sneijder and surely CR could have won one as well but it's not like Messi has not been deserving of it himself!! But no, it's a joke.

edit: how many hat-tricks has CR scored this year now? this is unreal!

Who said it was sarcasm.









It was, actually. And I meant that when it comes to impossible goals Kaka is right at the top. He has taken two penalties now (which I have seen), both of which were saved by the keeper but he headed them into goal after the rebound. One was a few years back, and the other against the Young Boys recently.

Ibra and CRON have nothing on him in this regard. Oh, and jokes aside, I don't know about you guys, but I've always placed Kaka ahead of most of these top players in regards to class (in his game) and stature. Maybe it's because I am a fan of the Brazil NT, or maybe Kaka is the missing link from a bygone era of the past.

But when he was wrongly yellow carded in the 2010 World Cup and sent off, the way the camera panned at him while he was talking the slow long walk back was the last time I got that feeling of awe and wonder. Ibra, Cristiano and none of the other players provided me with that feeling, that weight, that gravity.

Only Maldini, Ronaldo and other classic friends did that for me. And for that fleeting moment Kaka was among them. It's also probably because Kaka has shone in his NT quite regularly, but that was that. Now he barely registers among the top 10, maybe does, maybe doesn't, but he was the last time I felt attached to the game.

And for me, the game is always at the National Team level. Club football is good, but NT is electrifying!

In the past 5 years I think Messi and Ronaldo should've had 2 each with Sneijder picking up the other.

I saw this picture on twitter. I totally forgot they all played together.

Is this guy on acid or what?

I always am. There is a cut off date, a zip up of an era for me. And Kaka is the last passenger of that train that has chaps like Maldini, Ronaldo, Baggio, Romario, Cafu, Ronaldinho, Rui Costa, Baggio, Del Piero, Totti, Buffon. Heck even, Van Bommel was part of the above group. In fact, he for me is the drive of the Classic Express™.

Other good players that came after after these, from Cristiano to Messi, Ibra, Bale, Xavi, Robben, Silva, kids like Pato and Neymar, almost all contemporary names are part of the modern game for me. Kaka, even though he was part of the modern times, has qualities and throwbacks to the good time of the years gone by.

I guess there always are famous people that are out of their time, born in a different era.

Oh, and if you were referring to the NT bit, it's always been special for me. A whole nation always getting together (well almost always, considering the 86 World Cup and the Naples bit), cheering for 11 players who they consider their best. Stories are written there, histories are made in those clothes.

Even the National Team friendlies are better than almost all club friendly matches. But that's just me, I guess.

No that's definitely true.

Thought this was kind of cool -> Zlatan and Ronaldo cam

Aye. So in a National Team friendly match you get to see some young and upcoming players trying to break through the ranks, while most club friendly matches are either to test the formation, or horribly mismatched to test the strength, and players themselves often want out to enjoy their break.

Brilliant vid. Thanks for the share.

I think I just miss Zlatan really badly. He was in my opinion 10 times the champion Balotelli is now. And that cam shot, just shows him as he is now. Almost samurai like in his determination to just keep at it, even though he knows he is outgunned. He just gives it his best shot. But it's also like you can see the weariness from having carried a team so far and so long..

Bring him back FFS. This is his home. I have to say, I'd give Balo, Binho, SeS and Abate to have Silva and Ibra back.

Just the thought of Ibra, Pazzo and Kaka in our front three is humongous. But then it would hold us afloat for only about 3 years... Then we're back to having to buy questionable youth.

Just 10 times?

Yeah. Just 10. So if Balotelli scores 10 goals, Zlatan would score a 100.

stop giving me nostalgia of better times !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqCgVaE1Ggk

Nice draw for England

Least we will not go in complacent, will be extremely tough though.

lol group C and H

Australia certainly don't like easy draws

Italy certainly have their work cut out for them

Exactly my thinking. We do better with tough groups. Teams usually can only beat us on pens so if we draw first 2 games and then we'll know what we have to do v CR to qualify. Very pleased.

Spain or Holland will kick out Brazil in round of 16. haha!

3 easy points for Italy vs England

Italy v England. Love it.

Italy haven't beat England since I was in high school.

Hmh, strange draw. Some really hard groups and then you have some groups that look awful. Really unbalanced.

But they did kick you out of the Euros two years ago.

I think it's gonna be a great game, unless Prandelli decides on playing Candreva, Cerci and Giaccherini from the start.

Well, England beat them in the last game at the Euros game was a draw. No penalties in the group stage.

I think England will go through on 4 points with a better GD than Italy personally.

What last game? Friendly?

That's the stuff of nightmares. But I'm sure kurt would absolutely LOVE that trio!


And you wonder why non-England fans absolutely hate your NT...

Unless Italy have a total nightmare ala 2010 then they will win that group. I am sure. Second place is between Uruguay and you lot.

England have been absolutely shameful in every single tournament they're played in since I was in diapers. And beaten or not by Italy, you were still KO'd in the Euros by a team that was better than yours in every area of the pitch. England couldn't get out of their own half against Italy which just underlines how technically and tactically superior the Italians are as a team

What, for believing we can make it out of the group stage?


I think England will qualify, you think Italy will win without a doubt and it's me that's apparently being arrogant or whatever.


It was 0-0. Being tactically superior, technically superior, better, means nothing in a 1 off game. Italy were far superior to the teams in their group in 2010 and didn't win any - it happens, it's football.

I think

Uruguay - 9
England - 4
Italy - 4
Costa Rica - 0

It will come down to GD IMO. For me to say England will draw with Italy, lose to Uruguay and beat Costa Rica is hardly me overrating the team is it?

Kurt and han - they disagree even about the weather.

I think the most important thing is though WHERE ARE MALTA HAN!? WHERE ARE THEY!? WHERE ARE THEEEEEY!?

Because after all this sort of hype they fail big time. The arrogance with which the England fans and the English media go into each one of these tournaments is just laughable, but I have to say, it's even more enjoyable watching them fail each time after all that big talk


There is a difference between arrogance and confidence, aside from the nightmare in 2010, Italy have never given me any reason to not be confident before a big tournament. Why? Because they usually always show up and make it to the latter stages of the tournament.


I don't think Uruguay are anywhere near that good. And Italy are a lot better than a meagre 4 points in this group, even if Prandelli wastes spots on guys like Giaccherini and Candreva, they still have the quality in defence, midfield and in attack (especially if Rossi and Balo are at their best). Yes Uruguay have Suarez and some other really good players but Italy for me are the better side

And yes it did end 0-0, but Italy had more than enough opportunities to kill that game off. And just because it finished square you have no guarantee that the same thing will happen again

Greece vs Switzerland in the final!

We let them win, they get 0.000000000000000000001% out of their bank accounts to Germany aaaaaand we're debt-free.

We'll be in the sun, drinking cold beer while watching the games on stolen British satellite feeds

Since 1996 England and Italy have failed to make it to the QFs or further the same amount of times. Italy just do better when they DO get to the QFs or further.

No you're right, the next time they played it didn't finish square, England won.


We'll be getting pissed and smashing up Brazil.

Italy won it... I think that trumps any further arguments you can make about their records. Italy ARE usually slow starters, that's where they could technically be at a disadvantage, but I have full faith that they will still go through, even if they have a couple of hick-ups along the way

Meh, I prefer our way better.

Plus I don't even support my NT, it can barely even qualify as a NT. Very few of our players play full-time for their clubs over here. It's almost like a part-time job for them, only one club here has players as full-time employees of the club, so you can see what the level of our football is

Boy, I believe they run with the title year in, year out, eh?

I just feel the England-Italy game has 0-0 written all over it. Both teams often slow start and apparently the humidity in that area is insane!