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RONALDO STILL THE BEST
Portugal legend and Real Madrid forward, Cristiano Ronaldo retained his crown as the best footballer in the world as he was Monday named as the Best FIFA Men’s Player for the second year running.
The glamorous event was streamed live on FIFA TV monitored via the FIFA website.
Ronaldo was the overwhelming favourite among a trio that included his perennial rival, Lionel Messi and new contender to the crown, Neymar Jr.
Ronaldo played pivotal role in seeing Real Madrid winning the La Liga and Champions League double last season.
The former Manchester United forward remarked he was returning to England for the first time since his exit from Manchester United and his retuning to England had been fruitful.
He had edged out perennial rival Lionel Messi and the Argentinean’s former Barcelona team-mate Neymar to win the award, which he also claimed in its inaugural year in 2016.
Ronaldo’s successes with Madrid last term were crucial in him securing yet another individual accolade, with the 32-year-old scoring 42 goals across all competitions.
The most notable achievement for Madrid was becoming the first club to retain the Champions League title since its inception in 1992, and they also wrestled the domestic crown from bitter rivals Barcelona.
Ronaldo’s goals were vital on both fronts, with his haul of 25 in La Liga making him the division’s third top scorer behind Messi and Luis Suarez, while he also netted 12 in 13 Champions League matches, including two against Juventus in the final.
Speaking when he received his award at London Palladium, Ronaldo was quick to pay tribute to Messi and Neymar, who spent the evening sitting alongside him on the front row.
“Thank you, a lot, to the guys who voted for me. I must also mention Leo and Neymar, for being here,” he said.
“Real Madrid – the coach, the supporters and the president – they support all of the year so I say thank you to them.
“I’m really glad to win consecutive awards. This is a great moment for me. Thank you to all the fans around the world for the support. I appreciate that, thank you very much.
“It’s great to be here with these great players and I am so happy guys, thanks you so much.”
Although Messi’s season was not recognised with the individual gong, the Barcelona hero did enjoy a remarkable campaign on a personal level, scoring 54 goals in 52 games on all fronts, plus 16 assists.
It is the second successive year that Messi has finished runner-up to Ronaldo, while the former Manchester United attacker is also the favourite for the 2017 Ballon d’Or, having taken the honour last year.
That would tie the current era’s defining players on five Ballons d’Or apiece.
Neymar replaced Antoine Griezmann in this year’s top three, with the Brazilian having swapped Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record €222million transfer in August.
This is the second edition of the Best FIFA Football Awards, which are different to the Ballon d’Or.
A version of the Ballon d’Or has been awarded by France Football magazine since 1956, but world football’s governing body has ended its association with that honour.
Instead, it introduced the Best FIFA Football Awards, with Ronaldo the first recipient of its main prize in January.
Voting for the player and coach categories was by national team captains and managers, selected journalists and, for the first time, an online poll of fans.
Each counted for 25% of the total. Madrid dominated the awards ceremony; with boss Zinedine Zidane named Best FIFA Men’s Coach and Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos and Toni Kroos joining Ronaldo in the FIFA FIFPro XI of 2017.
Juventus veteran Gianluigi Buffon was named as Best FIFA Goalkeeper and also lined up in the dream team, while Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud claimed the Puskas Award for the best goal of the year – his remarkable overhead back heel volley against Crystal Palace in January.
Netherlands’ triumphant Euro 2017 campaign saw them dominate the women’s awards, with Sarina Wiegman named Best FIFA Women’s Coach and Lieke Martens scooping the player’s prize.
By Kunle Solaja, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez etched his name into FIFA World Cup history on Sunday after becoming only the sixth player ever to be sent off in a World Cup final.
Fernandez was shown a straight red card in the third minute of added time during Argentina’s final against Spain after a reckless challenge on Spanish defender Pau Cubarsí. The dismissal came after the Argentine had earlier been booked for simulation, capping a frustrating evening for the midfielder.
His red card also means Argentina have now produced two players who have been sent off in World Cup finals, more than any other nation.
Sports Village Square recalls that the first-ever red card in a FIFA World Cup final was issued to Argentina’s Pedro Monzón during the 1990 final against West Germany at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Monzón was dismissed as Argentina went on to lose 1-0. In the same match, teammate Gustavo Dezotti was also sent off, making it the only World Cup final to feature two expulsions from the same team.
Fernandez now joins an exclusive and unwanted list of players dismissed in football’s biggest match.
The players sent off in FIFA World Cup finals are:
- Pedro Monzón (Argentina) vs West Germany, 1990
- Gustavo Dezotti (Argentina) vs West Germany, 1990
- Marcel Desailly (France) vs Brazil, 1998
- Zinedine Zidane (France) vs Italy, 2006
- John Heitinga (Netherlands) vs Spain, 2010
- Enzo Fernandez (Argentina) vs Spain, 2026
History has rarely been kind to teams reduced to 10 men in the World Cup final. Except France in 1998, when Marcel Desailly was dismissed late in a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Brazil, every team that has had a player sent off in the final has ended up on the losing side.
Fernandez’s dismissal therefore added another chapter to one of the tournament’s most exclusive and unfortunate records, reinforcing the trend that a red card in the World Cup final has almost always been accompanied by defeat.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK
Africa emerged as the most successful confederation in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with an unprecedented 90 percent of its representatives advancing to the Round of 32.
Nine of the 10 African teams that started the tournament secured places in the knockout phase, giving the Confederation of African Football (CAF) the highest qualification rate among all six continental confederations.
The African nations progressing to the Round of 32 are South Africa, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, Senegal, Egypt, Ghana, DR Congo and Algeria.
Only one African team failed to survive the group stage, underscoring the continent’s growing competitiveness on football’s biggest stage.
CAF’s 90 per cent success rate placed it ahead of South America’s CONMEBOL, which saw 83.33 per cent of its teams advance, and Europe’s UEFA, whose members recorded an 81.25 per cent qualification rate.
The figures represent a significant shift in the global football landscape, where European and South American nations have traditionally dominated World Cup competitions.
The expanded 48-team format appears to have provided African countries with greater opportunities to showcase their progress, and they responded with a series of impressive performances throughout the group stage.
Cape Verde emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages by reaching the knockout rounds for the first time, while South Africa, DR Congo and Algeria also celebrated historic advances.
Senegal made history by becoming the first African nation to score five goals in a World Cup match, while Morocco continued the momentum generated by their remarkable semi-final run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In contrast, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) endured a difficult campaign, with only 22.22 per cent of its teams progressing. The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) recorded a 50 per cent qualification rate despite having the advantage of three host nations.
Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) failed to place any team in the Round of 32.
World Cup Round of 32 Qualification Rates by Confederation
- CAF (Africa): 90%
- CONMEBOL (South America): 83.33%
- UEFA (Europe): 81.25%
- CONCACAF (North and Central America/Caribbean): 50%
- AFC (Asia): 22.22%
- OFC (Oceania): 0%
The statistics show Africa’s growing influence in world football and raise hopes that the continent could produce its strongest collective performance ever in the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup.
With nine teams still in contention, Africa enters the Round of 32 with more representatives than any other confederation and a genuine opportunity to challenge for the latter stages of the tournament.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK.
Ecuador will look to continue their strong record against Concacaf opposition when they face Curaçao in a Group E encounter at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The South Americans enter the match having won their last two World Cup meetings with teams from the Concacaf region and will be eager to maintain that trend as they chase a place in the knockout rounds.
For Curaçao, however, the fixture represents an opportunity to create history.
The Caribbean nation is one of the tournament’s debutants and is still searching for its first World Cup victory. After suffering a heavy defeat to Germany in their opening match, Curaçao will be desperate to demonstrate the resilience and determination that earned them a place at the expanded 48-team tournament.
A victory would make them the first of the World Cup 2026 newcomers to register a win and would provide a significant boost to their qualification hopes.
Ecuador are expected to rely on their experience at this level, but they know underestimating Curaçao could prove costly. The underdogs have already shown flashes of attacking quality despite their difficult introduction against Germany.
As the group stage begins to take shape, both teams understand the importance of securing points. Ecuador are chasing progression, while Curaçao are chasing history.
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Frank Igwebueze
October 23, 2017 at 11:56 pm
I am not Ronaldo’s fan but I am satisfied by his selection as the best