Xavi questions Cristiano Ronaldo’s inclusion in the Ballon d’Or… top three

Tough crowd.

Xavi isn’t an easy man to impress.  He doesn’t even look twice at Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal record, his assists, his phenomenal performances throughout 2014.  In fact, he’s bemused by them if anything.

The Barcelona maestro raised an eyebrow at the suggestion that his Madrid counterpart should be the favourite for the Ballon d’Or to be announced next month when, as the Spaniard puts it, he did nothing at the World Cup.

An entire calendar year, an historic calendar year, thrown out the window because the undisputed best player on the planet did little for three games in the summer with Portugal.  But that’s Xavi’s assessment.

“He didn’t do much in the World Cup and, in a World Cup year, the season is defined by that,” he said.  “[In first place I would have] Leo, second Phillip Lahm, and third Javier Mascherano.”

And you can’t say that I’m biased because at least one of those don’t play for Barcelona…

Ronaldo probably couldn’t care less though.  He’s probably just pointing to his recently erected statue and asking Xavi where is his.

The former Spain World Cup winner went on to claim that Suarez’s exclusion from the initial Ballon d’Or list of 23 was unfair.

“It was very unfair.  He was punished for something that he had already been suspended for.  But that should not have detracted from his sporting merit.”

The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10