Cristiano Ronaldo Crowned Best Male Player In The World, Women’s Football Pitifully Underrepresented At Latest FIFA Award Thing (Photos)

Chris Wright

24th, October 2017

15 Comments

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It’s no Ballon d’Or, but Cristiano Ronaldo was ordained as the best male player in the world at the 2017 Best FIFA Football Awards back-slapping buffet in London last night.

By virtue of winning the double with Real Madrid last season, Ronaldo pipped Lionel Messi and Neymar into second and third place, while Zinedine Zidane took first prize in the male coaching stakes.

The big three also found themselves included in the FIFPro World XI – i.e. the best team of the year, along with Gianluigi Buffon, Dani Alves, Leonardo Bonucci, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Andres Iniesta.

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Dutch string-puller Lieke Martens was named best female player of the year on a night when, in typical FIFA fashion, women’s football was pitifully underrepresented once again.

The best female coach award went to Martens’ international coach, Sarina Wiegman, after the Netherlands emerged victorious at Euro 2017.

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Female players may have been notable by their general absence, but at least Sir Patrick Stewart from Star Trek was invited along for good measure…

Quite rightly, Olivier Giroud was bestowed with the Puskas Award for scoring the most beautiful goal of 2017, with the Arsenal striker’s magnificent scorpion volley against Crystal Palace coming out on top in the vote.

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Lastly but by no means leastly, Celtic ended the evening with the ‘fans of the year’ award for their impressive 360-degree tribute to the Lisbon Lions back in May…

This coming on the very day that UEFA fined the Scottish club €10,000 after one of their fans charged onto the pitch and attempted to kick Kylian Mbappe during a Champions League match last month.

The secret is in the timing.

Posted in FIFA, Newsnow, Real Madrid, Women's Football

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15 Comments

  1. Beano says:

    Probably because even the best Women’s National teams can be beaten 7-0 by a club’s under 15 boys squad.

    I don’t like it either, but that’s how it is.

  2. Paul says:

    @Beano – Agreed, until the level increases drastically (7-0 to U15 side is an absolute joke) woman’s football will never get notoriety.

  3. Ollie says:

    Scorpion volley against… Norwich?

  4. Two Cents says:

    Perhaps part of the issue is this apparent need – where did it come from? – to compare the men’s game with the women’s game (see Beano’s and Paul’s comments). What if we allowed for there to be difference, and appreciated that difference in the two games? The same game can be, and I think is quite naturally, played differently by different bodies. The problem comes in the comparison and elevating one game above the other on a skewed system of comparison. No need to compare, just enjoy the difference.

    • Zach says:

      You’re right, there are differences between the two. Namely that women’s football is shitte and men’s isn’t.

      • Beano says:

        @Two Cents and @Paul
        A comparison is unavoidable as long as the teams continue to scrimmage against youth squads of the opposite sex.
        Not to mention, during the last Women’s World Cup a number of players complained about not being paid as much as their male counterparts (despite not being near the caliber of Mia Hamm, a player who was paid much much MORE than the vast majority of male superstars during her career).

        Basically, they invite the comparisons.

      • Two Cents says:

        @ Zach
        Wow. That was clever and articulate of you sweetheart.

        @Beano
        I don’t know what, if anything, you can extrapolate from a few scrimmages other than vague comparisons or ideas. Each game of football is utterly unique (that’s why we love it!) and may not accurately represent the strengths and/or level of either team. To definitively state that the men’s game is far superior to the women’s game without stating what your criteria is (beyond a few scrimmages) for that conclusion seems too simple, lazy even..
        With respect to fair pay, I think that it is an important question raised by those women at the World Cup: why the discrepancy in pay and why, as Haywired noted in their comment, is there far more focus, money, and resources behind the men’s game?
        I don’t think the answer to those question is simply that the men’s game is better (faster, more technical, insert whatever descriptor you want)… it’s more complex than that, and needs more reflection and open conversation.

        • Beano says:

          lol by that logic League 2 players should be paid as much as Premier League players

          • Two Cents says:

            Not necessarily. But let’s work with that since you went there…

            Why is it that people value the Prem so much (often mentioned speed and technicality) and is it objectively better than League 2? Based on a subjective set of criteria it may be, but it may also not be. What if we shifted the parameters to passion and commitment, or aerial play? Would League 2 be ‘better’?
            So, why do people actually prefer the Prem beyond what they are told and sold? – I’m not asking for an answer, just wondering out loud.
            All I’m saying is that if you must compare, which league you decided is ‘better’ depends on your evaluative criteria… and all that tells you is which league is better for you to enjoy.

            With respect to the women’s game, I think Haywire put it much better than me and their comments get at the fallacy of the ‘quality’ argument perfectly.

          • Beano says:

            “I think Haywire put it much better than me and their comments get at the fallacy of the ‘quality’ argument perfectly”
            An anecdotal hot take exposes the “quality” argument as fallacious? lol ok

  5. Bruno says:

    I just don’t understand why they vote for Buffon and Neuer every year when De Gea is so much better.

  6. Haywired says:

    Why does the “quality” of women’s football compared to men’s (which has far more focus/money/resources behind it) matter in order to support it or appreciate it? It’s like saying “I’m English, but Spain and Germany and Brazil play a higher quality of football than England, so I’m going to support them instead of England.” That’s not how following football works.

  7. Haywired says:

    I’ve had just as much fun/joy/pain/heartache supporting the England women in international tournaments as the England men. The quality of the football was irrelevant. It’s not about that (and that’s not even going into whether the quality was even actually lower at all).

    “I don’t watch women’s football because it isn’t the highest quality.”
    “Oh right. Who do you support then?”
    “Stoke.”
    “……….”

  8. What? says:

    “Quite rightly, Olivier Giroud was bestowed with the Puskas Award for scoring the most beautiful goal of 2017”

    What? It was obvious that Oscarine Masuluke’s goal was the deserving winner. Not to mention the rude Arsenal fans present, hopefully it’s the last time fans are allowed to attend.

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