“This is just disgusting!” Cherdantsev - about the decision to give the Golden Ball to the World Cup

According to Championat.

Why is this important

Criticism of the decision to award the Ballon d'Or to Rodri instead of Lionel Messi highlights the importance of individual achievements against the background of team successes. Messi, as a key member of the Argentina national team, deserves recognition for his outstanding performances at the World Cup, even if the team did not achieve final triumph. This decision could impact the perception of awards in football, especially in the context of the upcoming Mundial 2026.

Key takeaways

• “This is just disgusting!” Cherdantsev - about the decision to give the Golden Ball to the World Cup.
• Georgy Cherdantsev criticized the decision to give the Ballon d'Or to Rodri instead of Messi, emphasizing that Messi was a key player for Argentina in the tournament.
• “This is just disgusting!” Cherdantsev on the decision to give the World Cup Golden Ball to Rodri and not Messi.

Well-known sports commentator and TV presenter Georgy Cherdantsev published a post sharply criticizing the decision to give the Golden Ball of the 2026 World Cup to the Spaniard Rodri, and not to the Argentinean Lionel Messi. In his address, Cherdantsev expressed bewilderment at the criteria by which the award winner was selected. He emphasized that despite Rodri's high skills, his contribution to the team's success was not significant.

“I don’t really understand on what basis the Ballon d’Or was awarded to Rodri. He is certainly a good footballer, but can you name at least one match in which Rodri carried his team? Where did he stand out, save or perform miracles? 0 goals, 0 assists. Spain is such a team that all the players are in their places and play in harmony, which makes even talented players less noticeable,” Cherdantsev noted.

He highlighted the achievements of other players such as Kylian Mbappe, who he said was much more prominent in the tournament, scoring 14 points on a goal-plus-assist basis. Cherdantsev went on to discuss that the principle of awarding the Ballon d'Or to a player on the winning team only makes sense if that player has demonstrated outstanding skill.

However, he recalled that in the history of the last five World Cups, the prize was received by players not only from the winning teams, such as Luka Modric in 2018 and Lionel Messi in 2014.Cherdantsev also noted that Messi, despite his team's failure in the final, still deserves respect for his contribution to the game and for those moments when he did his best to help Argentina.

“Football is such a game that even the greatest player cannot do everything alone against such a strong team as Spain. But from 116 to 120 minutes of the match, it was Messi who did everything for his team to equalize the score in a hopeless match,” he added.

He stressed the importance of Messi's outstanding performances at the tournament, especially in key moments such as his goals against England that helped Argentina reach the final.

“This is not worthy of the Ballon d'Or?! A great athlete, who is most likely ending his career, deserves this award,” summed up Cherdantsev, emphasizing that his opinion of Messi is not related to fanaticism, but is based on an objective analysis of his performances.

“I'm not a Messi fan. I'm of a different generation. But that doesn't matter. His outstanding matches in the tournament cannot be ignored,” he concluded. Cherdantsev also mentioned the group of FIFA experts who determined the winner of the Ballon d'Or, and expressed the opinion that their decision regarding Messi was unfair.

Spain became the 2026 World Cup champions after defeating Argentina in the final 1-0.

What happens next

The Ballon d'Or debate could spark further debate about the criteria for judging players at major tournaments, including Mundial 2026. Cherdantsev and other experts may continue to analyze the performances of players such as Messi and Rodri in the context of their impact on teams. This may also lead to a review of approaches to awards at future tournaments, including the 2026 World Cup.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to the Golden Ball at the 2026 World Cup?

The decision to give the 2026 World Cup Golden Ball to Spaniard Rodri drew criticism from commentator Georgy Cherdantsev.

Who confirmed the criticism of the Ballon d'Or decision?

The famous sports commentator and TV presenter Georgy Cherdantsev expressed criticism of the decision on the Golden Ball.

Why did the decision on the Ballon d'Or cause confusion?

The confusion is caused by the fact that Cherdantsev considers Rodri’s contribution to the team’s success to be insignificant, despite his high skills.

What changes to the Ballon d'Or selection criteria are being discussed?

It is discussed that the principle of choosing a player from the winning team only makes sense if he is of outstanding skill.

What did Cherdantsev say about Lionel Messi in the context of the Ballon d'Or?

Cherdantsev noted that Messi deserves respect for his contribution to the game, despite his team's failure in the final.

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