#ronaldo voted for messi

[footytea]

“since y’all don’t like the balon d’or contenders this year, who would you rather win it? messi? who’s playing in the burger league and is being carried by his teammates in copa?? you lot can never be satisfied”

found the madridista😭that small man lives rent free in their mind I swear. anyways, I wish they would cancel the d’or. no one is playing to standard. like ofc we aren’t satisfied when they finalists used to have hundreds of goals between the three of them and were great for both country and club. Jude dropped form mid way through the season, was practically nonexistent in the ucl, and has been playing like the rest of the English squad this euros (mid). Vini had a good szn and he was important in their ucl run as stated by their manager, but he’s absolutely shit for his country. I say we just forget about it and try again next szn

it's not even that neither jude or vinicius deserve it, because the standards set by messi and ronaldo are just crazy and won't be replicated any time soon, so it's time we start lowering our standards for players, but i just personally don't take the bd'or seriously because if you look at the individual lists of the media people voting and who they put on top you can just tell they're biased or don't know ball 😭

also i just went to check and one of the criteria is player behaviour and fairplay during the season and both jude and vinicius love a bit of shithousery so it'll be an interesting battle 😂

[bueckersstrap]

https://www.tumblr.com/bueckersstrap/754850352097116160/theres-only-one-right-answer-by-the-way-messi-or?source=share

to the four people who voted ronaldo that is the wrong answer btw 💕

anon said it not me 🤗🤗🤗

[liverpool-enjoyer]

MAX HEY what got u into soccer (as u call it) / ur football origin story ?!?!?

HI BESTIE I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING!!!

warning in advance i talk. so much. like half this info isnt even necessary to answer the question i jus like to run my big mouth.

so it all started when i was a wee lil lad. actually if you wanna be technical it starts before then!! basically i love soccer cause my dads loved it his whole life. n my dad loves soccer cause his dad loved soccer n i'll probly pass it on to my poor kiddos in the future lmao.

but yeah when i say dad loves soccer i MEAN it. he played when he was in school n continued to play after for the local club, a club made entirely of irish immigrants in new york. he is not irish. but he was rlly good so they were like aight. i have a ton a their trophies n yearbooks n stuff!! my dad was a goalie n helped them win a CHAMPIONSHIP (that he postponed his wedding for)!!! he got a buncha mvp votes n my opa has a plaque thanking him for being their biggest supporter :)) fun fact dads team played against usmnt goalie tim howard when he was younger. dont remember who won tho.

i know less abt opas exploits unfortunately, but by God did he love the sport. man could watch half a dozen games a day. oh wait nvm i jus remembered how could i forget he took my dad to PELES FAREWELL GAME IN '77??? oh yeah my dad n opa used to see the new york cosmos EVERY HOME GAME. so theyve literally seen pele himself more times than my dad can count. funny lil story they were season ticket holders but at the farewell game their seats were given to mohammed ali. as i type this i realize that sounds so made up but im not shitting you. look it up he was there.

so yeah naturally being raised by this man means being raised around soccer. as a baby i had a little plush soccer ball n i actually took my first steps with it. its still lying around somewhere i think. i did play when i was a kid (goalie, ofc) but the fact that i have the atheticism of an asthmatic squirrel cut my playing career short. honestly, i regret not pulling through n playing more. i actually didnt get into european soccer till i was like eleven. up until then i was a DIE HARD mls/new york red bulls enjoyer. i went to my first red bulls game when i was literally an infant n went to damn near every home game for over a decade. which means i jus got to watch the man, the myth, the legend mr thierry henry more times than i can COUNT. i didnt realize till years later how fortunate i actually was!!

now the REAL awakening. so its 2014, either march or april i cant remember. i come downstairs from an absurdly long minecraft playing binge n like usual theres a game on the tv. i ask whos playing n my dads like its el clasico. n im like ??? he explains that barcelona n real madrid are two teams in spain with an intense rivalry n every time they play they call it el clasico. n that barcelona has a player named lionel messi, who many consider the best in the world, n that real madrid has cristiano ronaldo, who many also consider the best in the world. i watched the rest of the game with him, n i honestly dont know what exactly made me a die hard messi fan. my dads a serie a/juventus enjoyer so he didnt care enough to steer me one way or the other. but from that day forward i was the BIGGEST messi n barcelona fan. i remember the 2014 wc VIVIDLY, it made me the woman i am today n NOT in a good way. i also remember growing up watching msn n that was literal crack. the 2015 ucl final especially was an,,, interesting time in my house lmao.

n thats why i love soccer!!!

[istalm]

FIFA, the governing body of international football, recently announced the list of nominees for The Best 2023 award. Topping the list is none other than Lionel Messi, the Argentine superstar who has consistently showcased his exceptional skills and talent on the field.

Messi, who currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), has had a remarkable career, establishing himself as one of the greatest football players of all time. With numerous accolades to his name, including multiple FIFA Ballon d'Or awards, Messi's inclusion as the frontrunner for The Best 2023 comes as no surprise.

Other notable candidates on the list include Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese icon who recently made a sensational return to Manchester United, and Kylian Mbappé, the young French prodigy who has been making waves in the football world.

The Best 2023 award considers the performance and achievements of players on both the club and international level. It recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the sport, not only in terms of their on-field performance but also their sportsmanship, leadership, and overall impact on the game.

The winner of The Best 2023 award will be decided through a voting process involving national team coaches, captains, journalists, and fans. Their votes will be combined to determine the player who will receive this prestigious accolade.

This announcement has generated immense excitement among fans and the football community, as they eagerly await the decision on who will be crowned The Best 2023. It is without a doubt that Lionel Messi's inclusion as one of the leading candidates reinforces his enduring influence and brilliance in football.

[manav0703]

World cup 2022

Football is a world wide known sport. We can say as if the most famous game internationally, countries like France, Spain, Poland, Israel, Italy, Mongolia etc. have their National sport as Football.

The Federation International De Football Association(FIFA)is the governing body of this that controls and associates football competitions around the world. It was founded in 1904 to oversee international competition among the national associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Fifa world cup is one of the most famous competition of this sport around the world. It is held after every 4 years. It is a knockout cum league kind of tournament in which teams have to go through league matches at the start of the tournament and then knockout matches if they qualify from the league tournament. Groups are made of 4 or more teams each and 2 teams qualify from every tournament.

The latest fifa world cup was held in the year 2022 in Qatar which was won by Argentina led by the captain Lionel Messi. It was Argentina’s third title and their first since 1986. French player Kylian Mbappe became the first player to score a hat-trick in a world cup final since Geoff Hurst in 1966 final and won the golden boot as he scored the most goals(eight) during the tournament. Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi was voted the best player of the tournament, winning the golden ball. Teammates Emiliano Martinez and Enzo Fernandez won the golden glove, awarded to the tournament’s best goalkeeper, and the young player award, awarded to the tournament’s best young player, respectively. Every world cup tournament is always filled with enthusiasm,courage,sportsmanship,friendship,etc. But this world cup was filled with something more than that, it was one of the most unexpected and unpredicted world cup ever played by the players. There was laughter but also tears, there was happiness but also sadness, there was friendship but also rivalry. The world filled the players as well as the audience with great filling of suspense and joy .

Personal reveiew:

Personally I was not happy after watching this world cup as I supported Portugal in which played by favourite player Cristiano Ronaldo. Seeing him in tears after loosing the quarter final match from Morocco made me really sad. I had really high hopes for him to win this world cup. But this man never gave up and gave his best until the very end, I’m really happy to be his fan although we can’t get what we always desire for.

[harrison-abbott]

Cristiano & Lionel

I wanted to write a lil thing about a ‘debate’ which I’ve always found bizarre:

Who is better: Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi?

This discussion has baffled me for fifteen years or so, and I find it odd to understand why so many people compare these two soccer athletes. So I thought I’d offer my opinion on it.

Who is the most attractive supermodel on the planet? Bianca Balti or Kate Bock … Hmm. How would you rate something like physical attractiveness? Is this possible? Because isn’t such a thing [finding a person physically pretty] based on subjective interest? You could compare Balti and Bock with, perhaps, the amount of money they earn and the amount of fashion shows they’ve achieved, or similar things. But why would that even matter?

People endlessly compare Cristiano and Lionel objectively. As to how many goals they have, and trophies won. Football icons are powerful people. Because soccer as a sport is the most popular on the planet; because they are famous, wealthy and successful: and lots of the eight billion folks on the globe covet such attributes.

At the same time: many people have zilch interest in soccer. Doesn’t intrigue them; they couldn’t care less. Instead they’re interested in pop stars or movie actors.

So which actor is the ‘best’? Or who is the greatest band in pop history?

Well – if you were to look at the music example objectively, it’d hands-down be The Beatles. But many, many folks say they despise the Beatles: can’t stand them. If you were to judge who is the finest writer it’d be William Shakespeare.

To know Bill Shakespeare personally, you would have to invent a time machine and travel back 400 years and go speak to him in a grimy part of London, where the entire population of the city drank from the same river that they used to dump their sewage in. Bill would not be able to understand what you were saying. Because Old English had a totally different accent to how English is verbally used today. This man would also be about five foot tall.

Furthermore, Shakespeare was deeply unhappy, and you can see this in his sonnets; which is the only autobiographical information we have of him. He was just as vulnerable as any of us are, and had a personal life in tatters. But in the modern age we know almost nothing about a man who changed the English language, and whose quotes and quips we still use in everyday talk, perhaps without realising it. [Football pundits love to use the phrase ‘comedy of errors’ when the defenders get all clumsy in the lead-up to conceding a goal.]

Cristiano Ronaldo was a man who built, paid for and directed a museum for himself. I.e., he made a building/museum and funded it personally, to prove how great he is. Does this sound like a man who feels secure with his own ego? 

If you were to go back to the history of the Premier League, and ask fellow footballers/managers who they thought was the best player. Paul Scholes was regularly the number one. Thierry Henry, Zidane and Vieira all said that he was the top player. And they were part of that French clique which won the World Cup, Euros – alongside the famous Arsenal side that were victors in all kinds of ways too.

Paul Scholes wasn’t a star in the glitzy sense of the word. Not goodlooking like David Beckham was; hated that sense of celebrity. But Ferguson [the most successful football manager ever] said he was the best midfielder of his tenure.

My whole point is that there are many contradictions and ironies within fields like sport or artistic achievement, and many clashing opinions which don’t seem to make sense if you look at them in an alternative way.

Do you know the Andrei Tarkovsky films? I looked at a list of fan-voted TOP 100 movies ever, from magazines like Empire and Total Film, and the internet movie site IMDb. Not a single Tarkovsky movie features in any of these lists. Thus we can assume that they are not popular in a mass sense?

There was another poll conducted by the BFI whereby they asked 400 of the top directors internationally what their favourite films were. Two of Tarkovsky’s movies made their top 10. Indicating that Tarkovsky is perhaps a ‘filmmakers’ filmmaker’: in much of the same way that Scholes was a footballers’ footballer.

When people say things like ‘Ronaldo is better than Messi’, is it not the individual who is making a fallacy? By saying person X is superior to person Y, this is essentially negative and minimalistic. The comment is supposed to be provocative and offensive, in order to undermine the abilities of an athlete which the commentator does not have. And most of it is subconscious.

There is no ‘best’ sports athlete. Even if you analyse it objectively, it’s not quite possible to label one man or woman who is the greatest ever. It’s just that people like that idea – of being the most superb, the ultimate gladiator, whatever you wish to call it.

Those who have a larger sense of knowledge in a particular field tend to answer differently to people who have a smaller knack of information. And knowledge is the key to harnessing a threatened ego. They will be less fearful of famous people because they are wiser, and such comparisons between figures are made trivial. In short: they won’t be as judgemental.

When a mind has a spanning resource of information it tends to not think between subjectivity and objectivity as black & white slates; rather looks beyond both of them and focuses on further intellect, because that is boundless and unlimited.

Please can we stop comparing Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi? It’s so tiring, and people have missed the point for such a long time.

Fallacies like status get lost in history and individuals with ‘greatness’ are only as scared as the rest of us. Of course it’s hard to be less afraid of other people. But with learning we can grow a bit, expand, and keep on being informed, rather than judging others.

[woso-scotland]

if it's not racism, what is it? because the criteria don't match. there's no definite explanation, period. messi won the ballon d'or by putting in terrible performances with argentina before winning the cup cristiano ronaldo then? if that's the criteria: we have carvajal who played in the euros and the champions league it's clear that they're not going to give an award to a black player who has been taking a stand against racism in the league and I also blame real madrid who have often been silent against the racism he suffered.

You're right there is no definite explanation as to how he's not being given the award. I doubt we'll ever know it, but the ballon d'or has been a glorified popularity contest for about a decade now they hardly take into consideration how well someone has done on the pitch these days.

That is also the reason that someone like Carvajal will never win it. There's no way that the people who vote for the ballon d'or winner are going to award it to a full back who slips under the radar when they can give it to a flashy midfielder, forward or a big name player who was decent

[gurutrends]

Ballon d'Or results 'leaked' on eve of award ceremony with apparent votes for Vinicius Jr and Rodri revealed

WHAT HAPPENED? The unconfirmed but widely-shared list shows Vinicius Junior top of the standings with 630 points, which is significantly more than Lionel Messi won with in 2023, but not as much as Messi in 2019 (686), Luka Modric in 2018 (753) or Cristiano Ronaldo in 2017 (946). If accurate, Manchester City midfielder Rodri has finished second with 576 points, with Jude Bellingham in third on…

[ejesgistnews]

Ballon D'or 2024 Ceremony: Key Details You Need to Know.  The 2024 Ballon D'or signifies a fresh chapter in football, as it will be the first year without nominations for Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, two icons who dominated the award for over a decade. Collectively, Messi and Ronaldo secured the prestigious accolade 13 times over 16 years, with Messi clinching his eighth and final Ballon D'or in 2023 after leading Argentina to World Cup glory. With Messi and Ronaldo absent, new contenders are in the spotlight. Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior is a strong favourite following an outstanding season. Other noteworthy nominees include Erling Haaland from Manchester City, Rodri, and Jude Bellingham. This shift reminds us of the pre-Messi and Ronaldo era when winners varied widely, featuring legends like Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho. The Ballon D'or, awarded by France Football since 1956, recognises the best footballers from the past season. Voting is conducted by journalists worldwide, who rank their top ten players. In addition to the men's award, accolades will also be presented for the best female player, goalkeeper, coach, and young talent. Who are the Men's Ballon D'or 2024 Nominees? The nominees for the 2024 Ballon D'or include: Vinícius Júnior (Brazil, Real Madrid) Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City) Kylian Mbappé (France, Paris Saint-Germain / Real Madrid) Rodri (Spain, Manchester City) Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid) Other contenders: Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Dani Carvajal, Rúben Dias, and more. Who are the Women's Ballon D'or 2024 Nominees? The nominees for the women’s award include: Aitana Bonmatí (Spain, Barcelona) Ada Hegerberg (Norway, Lyon) Alexia Putellas (Spain, Barcelona) Other contenders: Barbra Banda, Lucy Bronze, and Caroline Graham Hansen. When is the Ballon D'or 2024 Ceremony? The 2024 Ballon D'or ceremony is scheduled for Monday, 28 October (or 29 October in India). Where is the Ballon D'or 2024 Ceremony? The event will take place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. What Time is the Ballon D'or Ceremony? The ceremony kicks off at 1:15 am IST (or 9:45 pm Central European Time (CET)) on Tuesday, 29 October. Where to Watch the Ballon D'or 2024 Ceremony? Fans can catch the Ballon D'or award ceremony live on the SonyLIV app and on Sony Sports Network channels. As we look forward to the 2024 Ballon D'or, the anticipation builds for who will emerge as the next top footballer in the world, marking a significant transition in football history. Stay informed with Ejes Gist News – Your Source for Credible News in Nigeria.

[jayessentialsblog]

Ballon d'Or chief Vincent Garcia has confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo has decided not to vote

Cristiano Ronaldo is not voting for the honor, according to Ballon d’Or head Vincent Garcia, who said he is “very upset” with award decisions. Lionel Messi has won the accolade eight times, with Ronaldo coming in second with five. Since 2017, he has not been voted the world’s best football player. A recent Instagram post asserting that Messi had won three Ballons d’Or too many was liked by…

[farmerstrend]

Ronaldo and Messi's Voting Choices in Ballon d'Or and FIFA Awards Since 2010

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have undeniably defined an era in world football. Their influence on the sport has been unparalleled, not only through their breathtaking performances on the pitch but also in shaping major individual awards such as the Ballon d’Or and FIFA The Best. For over a decade, the two football icons have dominated these prestigious accolades, vying for recognition as…

[freelance-informatique]

Ballon d'or 2024 : des fuites révèlent les principaux favoris !

Des fuites sur le ballon d'or 2024 permettent d'avoir une idée des potentiels élus de cette année. L'attribution du Ballon d'Or 2024, qui célèbre les exploits de la saison de football s'étendant du 31 juillet 2023 au 1er août 2024, promet d'être influencée par les brillantes performances observées à l'Euro et à la Copa America. Et les fuites sur le ballon d'or 2024 permettent de confirmer cette tendance. Les fuites du ballon d'or 2024 créent des émules Les fuites sur la liste des trente nominés pour le Ballon d'Or 2024 révèlent les tendances des exploits de l'année. Les amateurs de foot peuvent déjà de se faire une idée du prochain lauréat. Dans les fora également, la fuite sur les nominés du ballon d'or 2024 suscite déjà des débats passionnés parmi les experts et les supporters du football. Chacun des sélectionnés a la chance de marquer l'histoire du football avec cette distinction tant convoitée. Alors que révèle la fuite au sujet du ballon d'or 2024 ? Parmi les joueurs qui tirent leur épingle pour cette énième série de récompenses, Rodri se distingue particulièrement. Élu meilleur joueur de l'Euro, Rodri a également été un pilier incontesté pour Manchester City, et a contribué à leur succès en Premier League. Sa polyvalence sur le terrain et son impact stratégique pour son équipe pourraient lui donner un avantage significatif dans la course au Ballon d'Or. Lire aussi : Robert Lewandowski : Ballon d'Or 2020 non reçu  décerné en 2024 Les jeunes talents en lice : Lamine Yamal À seulement 17 ans, le nom de Lamine Yamal apparait également dans la fuite. Ce jeune joueur incarne l'avenir du football mondial. Son ascension rapide et ses performances impressionnantes cette saison ont attiré l'attention des observateurs. Son potentiel et sa capacité à rivaliser avec les meilleurs joueurs de la planète pourraient bien lui valoir une place parmi les nominés comme le révèle les fuites sur le ballon d'or 2024. Les performances contrastées à la Copa America Si Lionel Messi a brillé en remportant la Copa America avec l'Argentine, d'autres grands noms n'ont pas réussi à s'imposer. Vinicius, malgré son rôle important en Ligue des champions, a vu ses espoirs de gloire individuelle diminuer après l'élimination précoce du Brésil en quart de finale. Les statistiques éloquentes de Erling Haaland et Kylian Mbappé Erling Haaland et Kylian Mbappé, tous deux des buteurs prolifiques cette saison, ont marqué respectivement 38 et 44 buts en compétitions de club. Leurs performances à l'Euro ont été perçues de manière contrastée : si Kylian Mbappé a connu des moments de déception, Erling Haaland n'a pas eu l'occasion de participer à la compétition internationale. Voir également : Les nominés du Ballon d'Or 2023 : les joueurs Français représentés ! RDV le 28 octobre pour confirmer la fuite À la veille de la cérémonie de remise des prix prévue pour le 28 octobre, la course au Ballon d'Or 2024 reste ouverte et imprévisible. Alors que des vétérans comme Cristiano Ronaldo et Harry Kane continuent de faire valoir leur expérience et leurs statistiques impressionnantes, de jeunes talents et des figures émergentes comme Jude Bellingham et Phil Foden bousculent l'équilibre traditionnel du vote. Le paysage du football mondial évolue, et le Ballon d'Or 2024 promet de révéler non seulement le meilleur joueur de l'année, mais aussi de tracer la voie vers l'avenir du sport roi. Read the full article

[perfectnews3]

Argentina has cheated in 2023 but it was really just a joke cuz

People who hated messi said that they are liars cuz

They don't like messi and think Ronaldo should stay in 2025

But even tho I vote for Ronaldo you should still follow 3 goats

And not 1

[calacuspr]

Calacus Monthly Hit & Miss – Sebastien Haller & Enhanced games february 2024

Every month we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the last few weeks.

HIT - SEBASTIEN HALLER

The late, great Daily Mail sport columnist Ian Wooldridge once wrote: “There are days when sport reaches the sublime heights of unscripted theatre and draws from men and women performers resources of nerve and skill beyond human comprehension.”

The magic of sporting contest is that it can be so unpredictable that it is often said that no one would believe it if you made a movie about what you’ve just witnessed.

This month’s African Cup of Nations (AFCON) certainly fits that description, with striker Sebastien Haller front and centre in the drama.

Ivory Coast, the hosts, looked set to exit the competition after a disastrous group stage, when they lost twice, including a heaviest ever home – and Nations Cup finals – defeat when losing 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea.

Manager Jean-Louis Gasset was promptly sacked, but the team got a reprieve when Zambia failed to get the result they needed to finish above the hosts as a best third-placed side.

Haller had not featured in those first few matches due to an ankle injury, but his comeback is far more dramatic than a typical footballer’s injury.

A former France youth international, Haller made his name at Eintracht Frankfurt before joining Premier League side West Ham for a then club-record fee of £45million in July 2019.

He failed to replicate his Bundesliga form, scoring only 10 goals in a year and a half before moving to Ajax.

Haller twice helped the Dutch giants win the Eredivisie and became only the second player, after one Cristiano Ronaldo, to score in all six of his club’s group-stage Champions League games, and the fourth, with Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski, to reach double figures in the competition’s group phase.

This prompted Borussia Dortmund to sign him to replace Erling Haaland, where his impressive form was stopped in its track by a tragic turn of events.

In July 2022, just two weeks after signing, the forward complained of abdominal discomfort and during a consultation with a urologist, a testicular tumour was discovered.

Haller promptly underwent surgery to remove it and within the week, he had started receiving chemotherapy.

In a Canal+ documentary called ‘Fight’, Haller’s wife Priscilla described the news Haller had a tumour as a “nightmare.”

“When (he) told me on the phone, I didn’t believe it — it’s a joke,” she said. “Until he got upset because he takes the blow and on top of that has to convince me. I understood what it was to be really afraid. I was scared and had the fear of my life.”

Haller was determined to play football again as quickly as possible and had a personal trainer devising tailored exercise programmes for him in hospital.

When Haller attended the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris with Priscilla, the extent of his illness was clear for all to see, his hair loss as a result of chemotherapy a stark reminder of how gravely unwellhe had been.

Haller was voted the 13th best player in the world for his achievements with Ajax, and also went up on stage to present an award.

He was encouraged by his idol, former Ivory Coast captain and fellow striker Didier Drogba, to provide an update on his condition and said: “Everything is fine. I’m here because everything is going as well as it can. It’s important to be involved at such events to show that you’re strong.”

That turned out not to be the case.

A month after the Paris ceremony, he needed a second, more dangerous  procedure, to remove the residual findings from the tumour, which took over four hours.

When Haller was eventually given the all-clear, he flew with his team-mates to Dortmund’s winter training camp in Marbella, telling reporters that “(retiring) was never on my mind.”

On January 10 2023 Haller was greeted with applause from his team-mates, club staff, opposition players and supporters as he finally stepped onto the pitch for the first time in a Dortmund shirt for a friendly against Fortuna Dusseldorf.

“It’s been a dream to play with my team-mates, certainly more fun than doing runs through forests,” he said afterwards.

Two weeks later, he made his official debut for Dortmund, and first competitive appearance since recovering from cancer, coming off the bench in a 4-3 victory over Augsburg.

The words “F*CK CANCER” were inscribed on his boots.

It was fitting that on World Cancer Day, in early February 2023, Haller scored his first goal for Borussia Dortmund, heading into the net against Freiburg in front of 80,000 supporters at Signal Iduna Park and subsequently swamped by a horde of yellow-clad team-mates.

He pointed to that message on his boots as part of his celebration and he said afterwards: “To score today was a great message to everyone who is fighting today or will fight later.

“It gives some hope, some courage. The days after will always be better. You only want to score another goal, to have that feeling again. It’s the best feeling.

“You’re flying. You’re on a cloud. The whole stadium is on fire. Your team-mates, the staff, everyone is as one. It’s a big boost. There’s still a long way to go, but we will walk down that path.

"Of course, you realise it is something really serious that is happening, that a lot of things can change. It's important to tell it straight about cancer.

“But the urologist helped me not to be scared. He said I could heal well. I took all his words for granted.”

With Ivory Coast struggling and scoring just twice in the AFCON group stages, Haller’s recovery from his ankle injury took on added significance.

"After the big defeat against Equatorial Guinea, we had no choice," Haller said.

"We've come back from a long way. There were words, moments, which were not easy for the players, staff and everybody [but] which were necessary."

Haller’s teammate Seko Fofana said that Haller's struggles with health and fitness inspired squad unity, especially after their coach was sacked in the group stage.

"He was a benefit to others in the team, always giving something else to this group," Fofana mused. “[Consequently] we're now a unit, a collective, and we can be very happy about it.”

Losing against defending champions Senegal, Haller was thrown on late in normal time to help save the game, and his perfect through ball to Nicolas Pepe saw the former Arsenal winger fouled in the penalty area.

Franck Kessie equalised from the spot to take the game into extra time with Haller scoring in the penalty shootout, with the Ivorians knocking out the holders 5-4.

Still not fit enough to start games, Haller was brought on against Mali in the quarter-final with the team down to 10 men, hitting the bar before Oumar Diakite scored in the 122nd minute to see the hosts through 2-1.

In the semi-final against DR Congo, Haller scored the only goal with a volley into the ground, which bounced over goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi and into the net.

That gave Haller the chance to put his health problems behind him, and looking forward to the final, he said: “The last 18 months have been quite challenging for myself and the family. I just take everything step by step and I just try to enjoy the moment. I don't want to have any regrets.

“It’s a great moment to be here in front of you, talking about the final of AFCON in my own country. It will take a few months, or a few years, to really realise what happened (to me).”

Hollywood scriptwriters would have ensured Haller scored the winning goal in front of his home fans, a scenario which looked unlikely when William Troost-Ekong had put Nigeria ahead seven minutes before half-time.

Kessie equalised with just over an hour gone before Haller seized his moment, flicking the ball into the net from Simon Adingra's cross in front of 60,000 fans at Abidjan's Alassane Ouattara Stadium.

An emotional Haller broke down in tears after the final whistle, the reality of his achievement hitting home.

"We dreamed of this moment so many times," Haller said. "We hoped to get to this point and once again the match wasn't an easy one. The joyous scenes we see now, what's happening in the country, they deserve it too. I really hope it does a lot of people good."

Haller was congratulated by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara after picking up his winners' medal, perhaps in recognition of the impact his return had on Ivory Coast's Éléphants. 

Understandably, Haller was front and centre of the team's trophy parade through the centre of Abidjan the following day, the victory a show of unity coming only 13 years since the end of Ivory Coast’s second civil war.

But victory was about more than just lifting the AFCON trophy for the first time since 2015.

Thousands of Ivory Coast fans came to celebrate on the streets of Abidjan, adorning the team’s orange and white colours, a national holiday called to celebrate the championship success.

Haller’s dignified and determined fight against cancer, his impact on the team and the entire nation underlined how sporting prowess can have a positive impact on society.

It’s a reminder not only of the importance of sport, but how its impact transcends the field, bringing joy, hope and inspiration to millions.

MISS – ENHANCED GAMES

With the recent backing of PayPal billionaire Peter Thiel and other tech businessmen, it looks like the controversial Enhanced Games has the financial backing to take place in 2024.

The Enhanced Games is a proposed international athletic competition, not unlike the Olympic Games, but with one major difference: they explicitly do not test for Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs). This is not to say that athletes are forced to dope, but rather than doping is perfectly permissible in the eyes of the organisers.

Their stated goal is to see how far humans can go, using a combination of chemical and technological doping; the former including anabolic steroids and hormone therapy, the latter technology like ’super trainers’ and swimsuits based on sharkskin.

The main philosophy of the Enhanced Games is that PED use should be seen as a ‘demonstration of science’ rather than as cheating.

Is this philosophy legitimate? It is true that no athlete succeeds on their own, and that every Olympic champion has a team of nutritionists, coaches and trainers, equipment designers, physiotherapists, friends, and family behind them. Why not add a pharmacist to the list?

The point could be made that high-altitude training could count as an unfair advantage, given that it is only available to athletes from countries that can either afford to fly them there, or who happen by chance to host training facilities in the mountains. It certainly gives athletes a clear and measurable edge over those that don’t have the option.

From a different perspective, a world-class swimmer like Michael Phelps has longer-than-average arms and a torso that is proportionally longer compared to his legs, as well as size 14 feet and a body that produces half the lactic acid of an average swimmer, but he is celebrated as a natural superhuman.

Meanwhile, women such as champion runner Caster Semenya, whose bodies produce higher than average testosterone levels, are punished and forced to take supplements to bring their hormone levels back down to average.

Clearly, there are grey areas when it comes to genetic and competitive advantages, so it could be argued that any and all enhancements should be allowed. That way, an athlete’s performance on the international stage would represent the combined scientific and sporting abilities of their nation to achieve victory as well as any genetic gifts they have.

Given the allegations of the Russian state-sponsored doping program that saw the state formally expelled from the Olympic Movement, forcing the nation’s athletes to compete as independents, this could be more endemic than we currently think.

The Enhanced Games also claim to have a vastly improved pay structure compared to the Olympic Games, including a stipend for all athletes that compete, as well as substantial prizes for the most successful – including up to and above $1m for gold medallists.

Olympic Games silver medallist James Magnussen has indicated he’d be more than happy to come out of retirement and take steroids if it meant a large payday.

He said: “They [Enhanced Games] have said they have a billion-dollar person backing them.

“If they put up a million dollars for the freestyle world record, I’ll come on board as the first athlete. I’ll juice to the gills and break it in six months.”

Three-time swimming gold medal winner Leisel Jones has argued that the Enhanced Games might actually benefit the Olympic Games.

“It might actually keep the clean sport, clean,” she said. “If this clears out people who genuinely want to [take PEDs] and are doing illegal things in sport, if that clears them out of clean sport, that would be wonderful.”

However, she has said that while she might be interested in commentating, she wouldn’t be interested in coming out of retirement to take part herself.

“I don’t want to participate in it myself, I’m not in a position to do that. The risks are too big for me I think for the side effects and whatnot.

“But I am happy to see other people do this. I would watch it for sure. I just want to know how fast they can go.”

There is some truth in the argument that traditional athletics has been afflicted by illicit drug use. Beyond Russia, a 2017 study carried out by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suggested that as many of half of tested athletes had used PEDs in the last year.

Two parallel Games, one ‘natural’ and one ‘Enhanced’ could, properly enacted, result in fairer competition for all.

However, the Enhanced Games has understandably been strongly criticised by anti-doping agencies all over the world.

Travis Tygart, CEO of the US Anti-Doping Agency, described the Enhanced Games as ”farcical… likely illegal in many states” and “a dangerous clown show, not real sport”

In a release, WADA further condemned the new Games, calling it “a dangerous and irresponsible concept.”

“WADA warns athletes and support personnel, who wish to participate in clean sport, that if they were to take part in the 'Enhanced Games', they would risk committing anti-doping rule violations under the World Anti-Doping Code,

"Athletes serve as role models and we believe this proposed event would send the wrong signal to young people around the world.”

Australian Olympic Committee chief Matt Carroll added that: “The Australian Olympic Committee believes the concept of a drug-enhanced games is dangerous.

“We know next to nothing about this organisation but sport needs to be clean and it needs to be safe for all athletes,

“The Olympic Movement is devoted to clean sport and athletic excellence, celebrating the best in humanity, excellence, friendship and respect.”

A spokesperson from UK Anti-Doping has described the Games as ”‘unsafe, dangerous to athletes’ health and wellbeing [and flying] in the face of fair play.  

"We believe competing is about respect, hard work and determination, not a dangerous game of endorsing drug use to enhance performance. We are committed to working with athletes to champion their rights, their health and their wellbeing.”

Even cyclist Joseph Papp, who was suspended in 2006 for PED use, has come out against the Enhanced Games.

“A doping free-for-all just invites the most ambitious person to be the most reckless person, and to take the most drugs possible without literally killing themselves.”

Athlete safety should be paramount in any sporting competition, and it is unclear how PEDs that are illegal in many countries would be regulated to ensure fair access for all competitors.

The condemnation that the Enhanced Games has received is also not limited to the world of sports: their messaging appears to be mimicking that of other, serious, political movements.

One of the Enhanced Games website slogans is: ‘My body, my choice,’ clearly attempting to echo the pro-choice slogans of pro-abortion activists.

Aron D’Souza, President of the Enhanced Games, said: “Fifty years ago, being a gay man was like being enhanced today. It’s stigmatised, it’s illegal in some sense and it’s done in a dark alley.”

In referencing a picture on the Enhanced Games website of an athlete holding up a flag bearing the event’s stylised “E+” logo, he added: “What changed for the LGBT community was pride — there was a flag to rally around and if you look at our website, it is intentional. What’s our first picture? A flag. Maybe this was our Stonewall moment.”

That is a bold claim even for a gay man like D’Souza to make, given the long and deeply oppressive experiences that LGBT+ communities have undergone throughout history.

There’s clearly a shock value aspect to the Enhanced Games’s communications strategy.

A further slogan of the Enhanced Games is ‘Science is real,’ echoing pro-vaccination arguments during the Covid Pandemic. These attempts to co-opt major worldwide political issues for the gain of the Enhanced Games organisers and investors is unlikely to improve the organisation’s credibility.

Whether or not they can attract sufficient athletes remains to be seen. At the time of writing, very few have publicly supported the new competition.

D’Souza claimed that 500 ‘sleeper’ athletes had privately agreed to take part, but so far none have spoken publicly, raising doubts about whether the Enhanced Games can go ahead.

With the very real safety concerns, the question remains: who will actually benefit from the Enhanced Games? It may certainly garner some initial attention, but what sponsors would want to be associated with such a controversial competition which would potentially undermine their own ethics and ethos?

D'Souza claims that he has no need for further investment, and that this is simply a project to see what humanity is capable of. But the financial incentives offered to attract athletes will need funding if the Enhanced Games are to ensure.

There is so much that the Enhanced Games have got wrong from a communications perspective.

Instead of demonstrating an understanding of the concerns and addressing them in a sensitive way, the approach has been one of aggressive belligerence.

Whether more athletes will sign up for the Enhanced Games in the fullness of time remains to be seen.

The risks to athlete safety alone will ensure continued widespread condemnation from the sports world and beyond.

[footballistfc]

Messi vs Tom Brady Car Wars - Who Has the Best Collection? | Footballist FC

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