this years ballon dor race is the result of inflating the perceptions of 2 great but absolutely by no means “best player in the world” caliber players

Why does this show have such distractingly loud music over people talking?

Argentina are favourites, but Uruguay and Colombia both have very good teams

golden goal was fantastic... every attack was terrifying for the viewers.... adrenaline is rushing through out...

I think Dan should allow without interrupting constantly to let the complete expert view come out..at times crosses the line..but overall it's good discussion 👍

Argentina vs Colombia for Copa finals!!!

As an argentine I believe we will .win but honestly Colombia n Uruguay are deserving aswel

A lot of people here don't seem to have watched Venezuela vs. Canada

No wonder Stevie hates Uruguay 😂

Have less games to have more entertaining football. Footballers have far too many games these days.

Now that there’s Mcmanaman around, I enjoy the show more because that was a proper world class player who’s played together with lots of legends and won so many major trophies. Some of the ex below average players like Frank Lebeouf and Craig Burley keeps shouting they don’t care about Balon dor and all the things that entertain us as irrelevant as if they were anywhere close to top 200 players in their days.

James Rodriguez has had a second wind this tournament.

Argentina should and as an Argentine fan, I hope and expect them to win BUT Argentina has been playing poorly so far. So the winner of Uruguay vs Columbia can also win it.

Argentina is winning it all over again.. Messi will go out with 2 Copas and 1 WC 🔥🇦🇷🐐🙌

Colombia and Uruguay are playing better than Argentina by a decent margin Argentina do have the experience tho

Recency bias when it comes to major international tournaments is genuinely on another level. Vinicius Junior is still a contender to win the Ballon Dor and yes his chances are so slim because it’s an international year, Brazil are knocked out of the Copa América and he was suspended during their elimination against Uruguay not putting the country on your back and he has regularly struggled with the national team, but why are we forgetting that he was arguably Real Madrid’s most important player when they won the champions league because unlike certain players who have a lot of PR, he actually showed up in the knockout stages and performed in big games. Having an impact on your team in big games particularly in the champions league is enough to be considered in the race for the Ballon Dor even if it won’t be enough for him because of Brazil’s poor Copa América and Bellingham is still in the EUROs and while he had a great season at club level, why are we forgetting that there were moments where he wasn’t even the most important player on Real Madrid as on that team many players were as good as him since their success was more about being a collective unit than individual brilliance, he wasn’t decisive enough in every big game in the UCL in the latter stages of the competition, they were able to win games when he was suspended or injured and at the EUROs, he’s had his moments of brilliance for England and they wouldn’t have made it this far without his incredible overhead kick goal against Slovakia, he’s had 3-4 disappointing performances in a row and he’s kinda living off of Madrid PR and he wouldn’t be anywhere close to winning this award without his incredible start to his Real Madrid career. People forget that the Ballon Dor is an award that’s won based off of individual ability not off of team trophies or who has the most PR, that’s the main criteria for this award nowadays and it’s lost a lost of credibility in recent years. It’s true that he struggled with injuries last season and Real Madrid were able to win games without him and they won the league, but they wouldn’t have won the champions league without him and that alone assuming there wasn’t emphasis on international football, he would 100% be deserving of the Ballon Dor over Jude Bellingham and because England are in the semifinals of the EUROs, that alone will be enough for him to win this award most likely whether they win it or not.

Argentina will win it all again. The championship DNA is something you cannot teach. They always find a way!

GOOD ADVICE STEVE GOOD COACHING

Messi will set the semifinals and finals lit again like he did in the previous Copa

Whoever between rodri and Jude wins euro gets the ballon d'or

Colombia and uraguay.

Colombia are the most underrated. They been undefeated in over 25 games 💪🔥🔥🇨🇴

Rodri for Ballon d'or

The Balon d'Or is nothing but a popularity contest. Actual performance during the season be damned

Assuming England wins the EUROs if that happens which it won’t, then Jude Bellingham is going to win the Ballon Dor. I would have no issue if he wins it this year, I’m 50-50 as to whether or not they should give it to him. He had a 10/10 debut season at Real Madrid where he hit the ground running and never looked back at all. As a midfielder he scored 20+ goals in all competitions, he scored the most goals out of any player in their first 15 games for Real Madrid, at the start of the season everything he touched turned to goals he showed his clutch ability and he was part of a team that was very successful as he won La Liga as the best player in the league and also won the Champions League and while he’s not been at his brilliant best at the EUROs, he’s scored some big goals and he’s the main reason why England are still in the tournament as they’re in the semifinals and that alone makes him a contender for the Ballon Dor. Unless they win the EUROs and he plays well in the final and the semifinals, here’s part of why I have an issue if Bellingham wins the Ballon Dor this year. As I said before, he’s a great player, but there were plenty of moments last season particularly when Real Madrid won the Champions League where you can make an argument that he wasn’t even their best player. From a champions league perspective, Vinicius Junior was their best player and he was the one who put the team on his back and produced his best performances in the latter stages of the competition meanwhile Bellingham disappeared in a lot of big games in the knockout stages and he’s so overprotected in a sense that if they didn’t win those games he would get criticized and he’s lucky that they won the whole competition. Kroos Rudiger Carvajal Valverde and Rodrygo were as important to the team as he was as well. When we talk about who should win the Ballon Dor between Vini and Bellingham they have an edge over everyone since they won the champions league, I think that people are forgetting Real Madrid’s success last season was more of a collective effort than pure individual brilliance and while they won games without Vini, they don’t win the UCL without him, proof that Bellingham wasn’t their most important player is the fact that if you take him out of the team there’s not a drop off in the way they play. You can argue that he’s being carried by Madrid PR in this race because of what he did in his first 3-4 months at Real Madrid where he couldn’t stop scoring goals and that alone is a significant achievement even if he cooled off in the 2nd half of the season. As terrible as England have been at the EUROs, Bellingham has still managed to chip in with important goals and had it not been for him they wouldn’t even have been in the semifinals, but ever since that brilliant opening game against Serbia where he actually played well, he hasn’t been all that great as he has ghosted in a couple of games and has been losing the ball like crazy during certain periods of the game and no matter how many goals you score, that’s an important part of being a midfielder. He has the Ballon Dor in the bag if England wins the EUROs, he’s a good player, but that doesn’t mean that he’s at the caliber of being a Ballon Dor winner and there’s not a bad thing in saying that because the season that he had was impressive, an advantage that he has over others is that he’s won the biggest trophy at club level he was also the best player in the league and his country has gotten very far in a major tournament, there’s a product of Madrid PR that also plays a role in this as well.

i don't know who the best is but canada is a wildcard in the deck. when they tighten up their defense and finish on the chances they create they'll be a dangerous team. as it is if they can get a goal and keep it close against argentina, regardless of the outcome, that would be a success.

What about Canada?!? No one gives them credit

Beware of Canada… in their match against Argentina even though it ended 2-0 they caused lots of problems to the Albiceleste… not sure about Argentina easily going to the finals… maybe they can even go out against Canada! Especially if Messi is still off form and some midfielders as well

Jinxed it

Better get Vinicious councelled

If vini doesn't win the Ballon dor it Is madness

Dhaka doesn't look like he is taking his job seriously. He can't be that ignorant about the keeping in Euro if he is the goalkeeping pundit. Disappointing.

Golden goal needs to return

all of a sudden Copa america and euros doesnt count for ballondor. but if messi wins then its the only thing that counts.

I think Argentina will win it again. They will show their best at semi and final. Lautaro has a chance to win ballon d or. He was the best scorer and footballer in serie a and copa italia. Now if he win golden boot and copa he has definitely chance at least.

Messi won FIFA Best Player in January after winning Ligue 1 and a couple of MLS trophies, instead of Haaland who won the treble, PL golden boot and European golden shoe. Just note that this took into account football played AFTER the World Cup. So I don't see how Vinicius can't win the Ballon d'Or.

Argentina win the copa

I want Argentina to win it, but Uruguay look scary 😱. The game between them and Colombia will be an even better match than the one they had against Brazil.

Colombia 🇨🇴 all the way!!!

Now I understand why Brazilians are angry at Conmebol officials coming into the quarterfinals. Because Uruguay is in their way.

If URG win Valverde should get it

Colombia and Uruguay both teams have an Argentinian coach 😂

Uruguay gonna win this copa

When England wins this EURO, Bellingham is going to win. WITHOUT that magical bicycle kick they don't stay alive. Without his goal in the 1-0 over Serbia, England DON'T help their chances to make the final by avoiding the big sides. Bellingham scored in many big matches for Real this year (El Clasico).

Uruguay 💪💪

Lautaro has chance to win Ballon Dor

Steve Nicol got a yellow card that game

Craig looks a little different this episode

I think Uruguay will win Copa America.

Triple xxxx slow down let see we messi fans we wait and see 😎

Am I old because I remember them all as players???

it’s colombias to win imo🙂‍↔️

Who is feeling sad that this 1-month international football festival is coming to an end? Again a 2-year wait for 2026 WC. 😔

Lautaro Martinez

Please don’t question Vinni jnr ballon dor. Thank you macmanman.

To be honest if you look at overall the season... non deserve the ballon dor vini shined in CL and Billingham early on laliga then stopped... I dont think they fully deserve it... if anything Toni kroos if he won Euro he deserve it... thats it.

Argentina need to improve and play better

I would laugh if Argentina lose

Messi is 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐

Bellingham gonna win if England win euros

Shaka knows best this time!!!!

8:58-9:09 There should be a TIME CLOCK for team in possesion of the ball in own half to move the ball into opposing half (10 seconds?). That would limit the boring and game stalling backward and sideway passes between defenders and central mid in-between themselves (and the keeper at times) that are killing the flow of the game.

Who do we think will be in the finals with Canada?

Cr7 will win balon'dor. If you don't believe me ask his fans😂

Canada is winning it…. Heard it here first

Lol, vini ballon 😂

8:58:9:09. Decided to post twice in case the original edited post was too long to read. 2nd suggestion: After the team in possession of the ball enters oppositions half No passes across half line are allowed. That way as team with the ball you'd have a limited amount of time to move the ball into opposition's half and then you can't pass the ball back across the half line once you're there. These 2 suggestions would create a plethora of goals and chances and highly entertaining football. These ideas, of course modified after trials so that they're implementable, would make the beautiful game that much more entertaining product.

Boring football games lately this is why football is dying while the bussiness side of football is growing fast these type of games have been very very boring or maybe football has evolved into this type of playing

Canada has a decent shot against Argentina. From the opening game, their first half was excellent. If Argentina has a bad day in the semis, Canada could potentially pull an upset

First?

This ESPN FC Pundits are trash bro lol idk how they are still employed

Oh please Bellingham isn't nowhere near Ballon d'Or claims..Vini should be winning it by a distance..If Bellingham wins it, the award should be bur ned down.. He's nothing but an overhyped marathon runner

Argentina is vulnerable.

We’re gonna have a rematch of the 2000 Gold Cup final, with Canada shocking the world by beating Colombia…

Canada is about to shock Argentina despite what the refs want

Of course he is all upon Argentina. Tha t s what what ESPN tell him to...or else...

I think Uruguay will win it. They have the hunger. Can’t see how current Argentina overcomes them

Goalkeeping is more than just luck, that's why Shaka never won anything.

Colombia wins all

FOOTBALL IS COMING HOME 🏆LOVE THE TEARS HERE 😭🤣🤣🤣🤣

Columbia is the best team

Vini is clear of Jude. Jude has done nothing during the euros.

If the France win the euros Mbappe is the winner.

1:55. There's only one deserved winner. Vini jr

My money on canada

This show is an embarrassment. Horrible commentary. No wonder no one watches this program

The winner of Colombia Uruguay wins the title, and will be deservedly so, since they got the best teams stacked in their side of the draw. Playing Canada in the semi final is a joke. They have been awful. Argentina will always be tough to beat, but both Colombia and Uruguay have the tools to do the job.

Black person to win the Ballon D'or, NOT a chance. George Weah is the last one, Ronaldinho doesn't count. Expect some defender from Luxembourg to win it.

Copa America is such a bore

Uruguay is sooo nasty! Do you still call what they do on the pitch, football? 🤮😡

Vargentina had the easiest side of this bracket once again. Fifa helping their golden child as always.

You guys haven’t watched South American football in your life? That was a light game to our standard bearer in the south … go check a Copa Libertadores match and tell me what you think afterwards 😂

The ballon d'or has no meaning anymore, messi got it last year, huge joke btw, Colombia is the best team left. No discussion, Argentina is horrid

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN JUAN CUADRADO.🇨🇴.👑.