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Mailbag: Ballon d'Or; transfers; MLS draft; what happened to Balotelli?
The 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or ceremony is done. Lionel Messi and Carli Lloyd are the individuals sitting astride the colossus that is world soccer. There was a bit less side entertainment this time around: Messi wore a plain black tuxedo, and there were no snide gazes from rival Cristiano Ronaldo when the Argentine won his award. Thank goodness we still had the release of who voted for whom, in which neither Messi nor Cristiano had each other in his top three and Guatemala was convinced that Javier Mascherano was the best player on the planet!
Let’s dive into this week’s Mailbag…
With all the money in the Premier League, isn’t it curious nearly all the FIFA 2015 World Best XI came from Spain? Think that will shift in the future?
@thedudeabides81
Eight of the players in FIFA’s World XI ply their trades in Spain, all of them for either Barcelona or Real Madrid. Not one of the 11 winners came from the Premier League, which I do expect to change in the coming years as the Premier League’s TV money leaps into the stratosphere. But I still don’t expect the PL’s greater wealth to take away many (if any) top players from the two Spanish giants. So get used to seeing players from La Liga on the podium in Zurich for a while.
Who would you choose as your three subs (honorable mention) for the FIFA World XI?
@ben__wagner
Tough call, but I’d have Atlético Madrid defender Diego Godín, Barcelona defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets and Barça forward Luis Suárez (just nudging out Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski).
How much longer until an American cracks the FIFA World XI?
@Victor_shem
Basically you’re asking when will the U.S. produce its first male soccer superstar? And we’re no closer to answering that question with a real name now than when we started asking the question 20 years ago. It could be a while yet.
Who gets to decide which media members can vote for Ballon d’Or?
@aria_serenata
So here’s how the voting works: Each FIFA member nation gets three votes: The national team coach, the national team captain and one media member.
Best photos of Lionel Messi throughout the years
A young Lionel Messi poses for a photo in Argentina circa 1993.
Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring Argentina's second goal against Venezuela during a South American Under-20 Championship game on Jan. 13, 2005 in Armenia, Colombia.
Lionel Messi flips into a pool during a relaxed practice of Argentina's Under-20 soccer team on Jan. 14, 2005 in Pereira, Colombia.
Lionel Messi celebrates with the trophy after Argentina won the FIFA World Youth Championships over Nigeria on July 2, 2005 in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Lionel Messi poses with the Golden Boy trophy awarded by Italian magazine 'Tuttosport' distinguishing the best player under-21 on Dec. 14, 2005 in Barcelona, Spain.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Rafael Marquez celebrate after defeating Espanyol to win the Spanish League on May 6, 2006 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.
Khalid Boulahrouz and Lionel Messi challenge for the ball during the World Cup Group C soccer match between the Netherlands and Argentina on June 21, 2006 at the World Cup stadium in Frankfurt, Germany.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi scores with his hand during a Spanish League match against Espanyol on June 9, 2007 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain. Messi continued to draw comparisons with Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona who scored in similar fashion during a quarterfinal World Cup match against England in 1986.
Argentina's Lionel Messi plays the ball during the 2008 Summer Olympics Men's Soccer semifinal against Brazil on Aug. 19, 2008 at Beijing Workers' Stadium in China.
Lionel Messi speaks with the media upon his arrival at the Buenos Aires International Airport on May 30, 2009.
Argentina's Lionel Messi plays the ball during the FIFA World Cup Group B match against South Korea on June 17, 2010 at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Argentina head coach Diego Maradona talks with Lionel Messi as they celebrate their victory over South Korea in the FIFA World Cup Group B match on June 17, 2010 at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Argentina's Lionel Messi plays the ball during the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Mexico on June 27, 2010 at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Lionel Messi sits on the beach with girlfriend Antonella Rocuzzo on July 20, 2010 in Cancun, Mexico.
Lionel Messi and girlfriend Antonella Rocuzzo swim with dolphins at the Delphinus aquarium on July 24, 2010 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi from vies for the ball with Getafe's goalkeeper Jordi Codina during their La Liga match on Nov. 7, 2010 at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez in Getafe, near Madrid, Spain.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates with teammates after scoring against Real Madrid during their semifinal, 1st leg Champions League soccer match on April 27, 2011 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi reacts after scoring against Osasuna during their La Liga match on Sept. 17, 2011 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi duels for the ball with Real Madrid's Pepe, Sergio Ramos and Fabio Coentrao during their La Liga match on April 21, 2012 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates with Gonzalo Higuain after scoring against Ecuador during their World Cup qualifying match on June 2, 2012 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Argentina's Lionel Messi makes a header during an International Friendly against Brazil on June 9, 2012 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring against Real Madrid during their La Liga match on Oct. 7, 2012 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi smiles during a news conference after receiving his Golden Boot award in recognition for scoring the most goals in Europe's domestic leagues on Oct. 29, 2012 in Barcelona, Spain.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi poses with his four FIFA Men's World Player of the Year awards before a Copa del Rey match against Malaga on Jan. 16, 2013 at the Camp Nou stadium, in Barcelona, Spain. Messi received the award for a record-breaking fourth successive year.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi kicks the ball during their La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano on March 17, 2013 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring the opening goal during their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal match against Paris Saint-Germain on April 2, 2013 at Parc des Princes in Paris, France.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi holds his son Thiago as they sit next to the trophy after winning the La Liga match against Real Valladolid on May 19, 2013 at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi plays the ball during their La Liga match against Espanyol on March 29, 2014 at Cornella-El Prat stadium in Cornella de Llobregat, Spain.
Argentina's Lionel Messi appears on the June 9, 2014 cover of the World Cup Preview Issue of Sports Illustrated.
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup Group F match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 15, 2014 at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates with teammates Angel di Maria and Marcos Rojo after scoring their first goal during the FIFA World Cup Group F match against Nigeria on June 25, 2014 at the Estadio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Belgium's Vincent Kompany and Argentina's Lionel Messi fight for the ball during the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match on July 5, 2014 at the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia, Brazil.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi scores his team's fourth goal during the La Liga match against Granada CF on Sept. 27, 2014 at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's fourth goal during the La Liga match against Sevilla FC on Nov. 22, 2014 at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.
FIFA Ballon d'Or nominee Lionel Messi poses for a portrait prior to the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala on Jan. 12, 2015 at the Park Hyatt hotel in Zurich, Switzerland.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi attempts a bicycle kick against Valencia's Nicolas Otamendi during their La Liga match on April 18, 2015 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi plays with his son Thiago after the La Liga match against Deportivo La Coruna on May 23, 2015 at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi kisses the trophy after the Champions League final match victory over Juventus F.C. on June 6, 2015 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kicks the ball during their Copa America semifinal match against Paraguay on June 30, 2015 at the Estadio Municipal de Concepcion in Chile.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi scores his side's second goal past Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny during their Group E Champions League match on Nov. 24, 2015 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.
Messi poses for his second Sports Illustrated cover prior to the 2016 Copa America Centenario in the United States.
Messi jumps into the stands at Camp Nou to celebrate Barcelona's miracle comeback against PSG in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 on March 8, 2017.
Messi shows off the back of his jersey to Real Madrid fans who witnessed his last-second winner for Barcelona in a riveting Clasico at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 23, 2017.
The U.S. men’s voter is Paul Kennedy of Soccer America, who has done work for France Football (which organizes the vote with FIFA) for several decades. The U.S. women’s voter is Jeff Kassouf of NBC Sports. I’m not sure who exactly “decides” which media member gets to vote, but from talking to Paul I know it has been a challenge over the years to find even one voting media member in some of the smaller FIFA nations.
True or false: Lionel Messi is to Steph Curry as Cristiano Ronaldo is to LeBron?
@john_engelhard
True. It’s been fun to see the mutual admiration society develop recently between Messi and Curry, who’s body shapes and playing styles have a lot in common. As for the other two, Ronaldo and LeBron are physical freaks who … both have spent time in Miami?
What’s more crucial for Man United: Getting rid of manager Louis van Gaal or securing a striker in this transfer window?
@ClassyPeteStew
SI Now: Wahl on European coaching carousel, Arsenal, FIFA election
For me, it’s ending Van Gaal’s tenure. The only reasons I think it hasn’t ended already are 1) boss Ed Woodward doesn’t want to admit his hire went wrong, and 2) United is one of the clubs that has offered Pep Guardiola a contract, and they’re simply waiting for him to decide. As for buying a striker this month, United seems more intent on acquiring Lazio winger Felipe Anderson, who is a lot like Memphis Depay.
Who should Chelsea go after and who will they get?
@SoCalMindset
I’d like to see Chelsea go for an Atlético Madrid two-fer and get defender Diego Godín and manager Diego Simeone, but I don’t see that happening during the season. Front-line possibilities include Shakhtar’s Alex Teixiera and Milan’s Carlos Bacca. But don’t look now: Diego Costa may be rounding back into form.
Who will get Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang?
@hitman206
My guess: Nobody will land the red-hot Dortmund striker who just became the African Player of the Year. He’s too valuable to Dortmund right now to move him.
Will Liverpool dump Christian Benteke like they did Robbie Keane after six months?
@Hitman206
Tactical breakdown: How Jurgen Klopp is transforming Liverpool
I think Benteke has a lot to prove in the coming months as he tries to show Jurgen Klopp that can fit into the manager’s system. That involves scoring, of course, but it also requires being the first line of defense in Klopp’s high-pressing set-up. So far I haven’t been seeing it, and if that doesn’t change I could definitely see Benteke moving in the summer. Talk about a big week for Liverpool, by the way, hosting Arsenal (on Wednesday) and Man United (on Saturday) at Anfield.
What happened to Mario Balotelli?
@KevinWaitro
Soccer star Mario Balotelli on cover of Sports Illustrated
Sigh. The one-time SI coverboy, who’s still just 25, is about to return from injury for AC Milan, where he’s on loan this season from Liverpool. Balotelli has been in a funk for much of the time since World Cup 2014, and he hasn’t played for Italy since that tournament. Liverpool was clearly a bad move, and injuries have been a constant problem as well. I still think Balo can get his career going again, but he needs some consistency at club level first.
- WAHL: Balotelli SI cover story | Balotelli outtakes
Most intriguing player linked to MLS [lately]?
@Ken_Marone
Gotta be Radamel Falcao’s chalk outline and Columbus. I’ll be honest, I have no inside scoop on this one, but I can’t help but smile even thinking about it. Hard to see it happening, though.
Is there streaming or TV of the MLS draft or has it become so irrelevant there isn’t?
@KMJames14
The draft will be streamed live on the MLS website and ESPN3.com on Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. I wouldn’t call the draft irrelevant. Last year’s draft included players like Cyle Larin, Fatai Alashe, Tim Parker, Khiry Shelton, Matt Polster, Cristian Roldan, Saad Abdul-Salaam, Dominique Badji and Oniel Fisher.
The problem is that not even most MLS fans watch college soccer on a regular basis, and coverage of college soccer is nowhere near what it is for college football or basketball. As a result, we don’t already have a deep relationship with these players, which is what causes people to get so much more excited about the NFL and NBA drafts.
That said, the MLS draft has gotten less important over the years with the advent of Homegrown players—the biggest rookie addition to the league would be Seattle HGP Jordan Morris, who has no chance of being taken in the draft—and with teams having so many ways to add players to their rosters.
What are the chances of LA Galaxy signing Jelle Van Damme, Joleon Lescott, Nigel de Jong and Ashley Cole?
@ChrisV323
Lescott and Cole both look likely at this point, and considering Lescott is 33 and Cole is 35, you really don’t want to be adding too many guys north of 30 in MLS. Van Damme is 32 and De Jong is 31. There’s no way all four are coming in, but there’s also reason for Galaxy fans to wonder if there’s too much age on this team.
Do you think Jill Ellis really deserved to win world Coach of the Year?
@pacheco_mm
I do. Ellis made the big tactical decisions that needed to be made during the World Cup, and they paid off for her in the end. You could argue she was forced into moving Carli Lloyd higher up the field by the yellow-card absence of Lauren Holiday in the quarterfinals, but it took guts for Ellis to keep Lloyd higher and bench Abby Wambach for the games that mattered most at the end.
Will you be at #nscaabaltimore this week?
@MKurtianyk
I will indeed be in Baltimore on Wednesday and Thursday for the MLS draft and NSCAA convention. I’ll be doing the SiriusXM CounterAttack show on-site Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. ET, and we should be located right in the middle of things. Please say hello! Can’t wait to get back to the city where I lived from 2007 to ’12.
Best sports venue to never host a WCQ? Why would it be a good pick to host? My pick is AT&T Park in SF.
@BR_James
For me the answer is clear: Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., which has hosted friendlies but never a World Cup qualifier. The reasoning for not hosting there is also pretty clear: No matter who the U.S. plays, the opponent will have a supportive crowd in the New York City area.
Other soccer-specific stadiums that have yet to host a U.S. World Cup qualifier are Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Tex.; BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston; Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pa.; and Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif. As for NFL stadiums with real grass that haven’t hosted qualifiers, I’d consider Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.; Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia; and University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Who do you think the next U.S. player to join a Premier League team will be?
@Brennan_Doherty
I’m not expecting any U.S. players to join a Premier League team in the January window, but my guess for the next one (whenever that is) would be New York Red Bulls defender Matt Miazga. He’s very much on the rise, and it also helps that he has an EU passport (Poland) and doesn’t need to qualify for a work permit.
Who starts at GK for the Copa America Centenario? Tim Howard or Brad Guzan?
@SeanQuinnSports
The short answer is whoever is starting for their club team at the end of the season. But if both are still starting I suspect Howard will be the No. 1 for the U.S. in the Copa América.
Who would be your soccer sports writer of the year?
@Dewitt9375
I think this question came in reference to my tweet congratulating SI’s Tom Verducci on winning his second straight National Sportswriter of the Year award this week. There are a lot of good soccer writers out there these days, in and out of the U.S., so I’ll give two awards. For the U.S. I’d give it to Sam Borden of the New York Times, who was all over the FIFA scandal and was even in the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich at 6 a.m. when arrests happened (twice!). For outside the U.S., I’d give it to Rory Smith of the Times of London. He’s fantastic, with a good eye for a story and global interests.
Out of the 4 teams in the MLS Eastern Conference who didn't make the playoffs in '15, who has the best chance to make it in '16?
@mlmahan76
I’d say Orlando, which dealt with a ton of injuries last year and still nearly made the playoffs. I’ll be leery of NYCFC’s defense until I see proof otherwise.
A leading soccer journalist and best-selling author, Grant Wahl has been with SI since 1996 and has penned more than three dozen cover stories.