The Ballon d’Or is one of the most prestigious individual awards in soccer, given to the best football player in the world each year. However, if you look at the list of past winners, you’ll notice something odd: most of them are forwards or attacking midfielders. Only a handful of defenders and just one goalkeeper (Lev Yashin in 1963) have ever won the Ballon d’Or. This raises the question: why is it so hard for defenders and goalkeepers to win the Ballon d’Or?

Attackers Get the Spotlight

One of the main reasons defenders and goalkeepers struggle to win the Ballon d’Or is because attacking players tend to grab the headlines. Scoring goals is one of the most exciting parts of the game, and attackers are usually the players responsible for delivering those memorable moments. Players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the award for over a decade, not just because they’re great, but because they consistently produce goals, assists, and game-changing plays. These moments are what fans remember, and they’re often the deciding factors in awarding individual honors.

Defenders and goalkeepers, on the other hand, usually don’t have those highlight-reel moments. Their jobs are more about stopping the opposition, something that’s crucial for the team but doesn’t always stand out. While a last-ditch tackle or a game-saving save is impressive, it doesn’t capture the imagination in the same way as a 30-yard screamer into the top corner. As a result, defenders and goalkeepers don’t get the same level of recognition as their attacking counterparts.

Stats Don’t Tell the Whole Story

In modern football, statistics have become a huge part of how players are judged. Attackers can easily be measured by their goals and assists, and these numbers are easy to compare. But for defenders and goalkeepers, it’s much harder to put a value on their performances. How do you measure a defender’s ability to read the game or a goalkeeper’s leadership from the back? While clean sheets (no goals conceded) are one metric, they rely on the whole team, not just one player.

This makes it difficult for voters to compare defenders and goalkeepers to forwards, who have clear, eye-catching numbers in their favor. The truth is, it’s a lot easier to vote for a player who’s scored 50 goals in a season than one who’s made countless blocks or saves that don’t show up on a stat sheet.

The Few That Have Won

While it’s rare, there have still been a few defenders to win the Ballon d’Or. The only goalkeeper to ever win the Ballon d’Or was the legendary Lev Yashin in 1963. Known as “The Black Spider,” Yashin was famous for his incredible shot-stopping ability and commanding presence in goal. His win remains a historic moment for goalkeepers everywhere. There was another goalkeeper to go close, Italian Dino Zoff was second in 1973.

As for defenders, the last one to win the award was Fabio Cannavaro in 2006. Cannavaro led Italy to World Cup glory that year, putting in a series of incredible performances as Italy conceded just two goals for the entire tournament. Before him, only a couple of other defenders, like Franz Beckenbauer, have managed to break the trend and take home the award (he won it twice, in 1972 and 1976).

The Evolution of the Game

The modern game has become more attacking, with more emphasis on scoring goals than ever before. Teams prioritize possession, quick passing, and creativity in the final third, which puts even more focus on the players responsible for making those plays. As a result, it becomes even harder for defenders and goalkeepers to stand out.

But that doesn’t mean defenders and goalkeepers aren’t as valuable – they’re just as important as attackers, if not more so. After all, teams can’t win without a solid defensive group. A world-class defender or goalkeeper can change the outcome of a game or even a season. However, the way the game is watched, analyzed, and judged tends to favor attacking players, leaving defenders and goalkeepers on the outside when it comes to individual awards.

Will Things Ever Change?

So, will we ever see another defender or goalkeeper win the Ballon d’Or? It’s hard to say. There have been calls to create separate awards for different positions, but for now, the Ballon d’Or remains focused on all players. To break through, a defender or goalkeeper would likely need to have an extraordinary season, perhaps leading their team to a major title like the World Cup or Champions League while putting in standout performances.

In the end, the nature of the game itself makes it harder for defenders and goalkeepers to claim the Ballon d’Or. But whether they win the award or not, their contributions remain just as vital to the success of their teams. And while attackers may continue to dominate the headlines, true soccer fans know that defense wins championships.

Nothing beats the feeling of being the best in the most sought-after sport in the world, and getting crowned champion with a beautiful trophy! What else does a nation want, this tournament has a way of enabling people to puff out their chest by giving them license to say ‘this is our team’ and having some pride in their nation,

This time around, spectacular moments like these will be witnessed from the ‘Land of Arabs’ for the first time in the history of the world cup. The tournament commences on November 20 and will continue till December 18, 2022.

If you want to watch the FIFA World Cup live online and don’t know how to go about it, we have you covered. In this blog, we will teach you how to watch the FIFA world cup Qatar 2022 live stream from anywhere in the world:

Where to watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 live stream 

Sling TV

Sling TV is the best option to stream the FIFA world cup inside the US if you don’t have cable. The streaming service offers you the cheapest subscription with a 7 days free trial, so you can’t miss any moment of the exciting tournament live without worrying about the cable. The best part is you could even use Sling TV from outside UK, by using a VPN to connect to a US server and directly stream FIFA World Cup

BBCi iPlayer

BBC iPlayer is the official broadcaster in the UK for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and will broadcast every fixture from the tournament. However, the in-demand streaming service only works inside the UK due to certain geo-restrictions.

Fortunately, to access BBC iPlayer from anywhere, you need to have a UK IP address and this is where a high-speed VPN can help. Just follow these simple steps to stream the FIFA World Cup live on BBC iPlayer:

1. Get a VPN subscription.
2. Download the app for your device and connect to a UK server.
3. Go to BBC iPlayer and log into your account or sign up.
4. Enjoy live streaming the FIFA World Cup 2022 for free from anywhere!

FIFA World Cup 2022 – Groups

• Group A. Qatar. Ecuador. Senegal. Netherlands
• Group B. England, Iran, USA, Wales
• Group C. Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
• Group D. France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
• Group E. Spain, New Zealand OR Costa Rica, Germany, Japan
• Group F. Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
• Group G. Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
• Group H. Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

Final Words

Watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 live without any worry, no matter where you are in the world by accessing BBC iPlayer or SlingTV with the help of VPN. By switching your virtual location to the UK or US, you can access BBC iPlayer or SlingTV hassle-free to stream your favorite FIFA World Cup matches live online. Over 140+ broadcasters will cover the FIFA World Cup 2022 in different countries. For instance, BBC and ITV are going to show the tournament in the UK, while MatchTV and Channel One are the official broadcasters in Russia. However, the end goal is to enjoy and cherish the thrilling moments of the world cup by supporting your national team.

Prior to the tournament, FIFA released the anthropometric data of the 736 players (squads of 23 from the 32 nations), which gave us the opportunity to compare the body size of players from each team and playing position. We found that out of all the teams, the goalkeepers at the 2018 FIFA World Cup stood out – they tended to be older, taller and heavier than the field players. The youngest players were the forwards, the shortest the midfielders, and the leanest based on BMI were the midfielders. Now that the two teams that are to battle out the final on Sunday are known, we have pulled out their team data and had a look at how they match up.

Squads Compared

We compared the body size data of the French and Croatian 23-man squads. The Croatians are on average older (27.9 v 26.0 years), a couple of centimetres (an inch) taller (185.3 v 183.3), but of similar average weight (79.3 v 80.0kg). If we just compare the expected starting 11 players (based on their semi-final match), the age difference is even greater (29.5 v 26.2 years). For both teams, the average weight of the players in the starting 11 is lower than the full squad average (Croatia 79.3 to 77.6kg, France 80.0 to 78.9kg), indicating the top players are leaner. The lower weight was not just because they are shorter, as the Body Mass Index was lower too (Croatia 23.1 to 22.8, France 23.8 to 23.5).

Players Compared

The two goalkeepers expected to play in the final are Danijel Subasic of Croatia and Hugo Lloris of France. The Croatian has a couple of years more experience (aged 33.7 versus 31.5 years), and also has an advantage in size: he is taller (191 v 188cm) and heavier (84 v 82 kg).

Of the starting four defenders, the noteworthy difference is their age. The Croatians are on average more than five years older (28.9 v 23.6 years). If this age difference translates to greater maturity and experience on the field, then they have a distinct advantage.

Comparing the midfielders, the French players are on average quite a bit heavier (76.7 v 70.7 kg) despite being of very similar height. At this level, we don’t expect players to be carrying much excess body fat, so the difference in weight would be mostly due to them being more solidly built, having more muscle and therefore being stronger. If this World Cup final becomes a physical encounter, the French midfield players are going to have a big advantage.

The Croatian forwards are also a couple of inches taller than their French counterparts (187.0 v 181.7cm), which may be an advantage around the goals, particularly for corners and other set pieces.

Conclusion

When it comes to the physical attributes of the two teams, in most cases it has been the Croatian team that has the advantage. Of course, body size is not the most important factor for successful performance in football, though, if all other things are equal then it may be the difference that could win a World Cup for Croatia. However, it may just come down to luck, particularly if it finishes with a penalty shootout.

I want to go out on an (octopus) limb and say that it was all due to chance. I know it may sound far-fetched and very unlikely, but maybe he was just lucky and was able to select the winning teams through chance. No psychic abilities, no hand of God, and no conspiracies – just luck. A lot of luck.

After getting up at 2 am this morning to watch Australia play Serbia, I am much happier and very impressed with their performance. Although they won today, they just missed out on progressing to the knockout round.

The team did us proud, playing great football and giving everything for their country. Missing out of the final 16 is no great disappointment, the Aussies have played above expectations.

I cannot say the same about the French team, and cannot imagine the public outcry at their team’s performance. There is always drama at the World Cup, and that is why we are captivated. A few more sleepless nights to come!

The game was played on April 23, 2005, with 17 cameras tracking just Zidane in real-time. There is no commentary, just the noise of him spitting, shouting to his teammates and muttering the occasional complaint to the referee.

In the end, it is not a football game you are watching, but a voyeuristic view of a public figure. It is not his best game, but maybe his best view. You see a hardworking player, searching for opportunity. The final score was Real Madrid 2, Villareal 1. But who cares?

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Such a crowd at a soccer match is rarely seen in Australia. If they can continue to have games and spectacles like that, then the crowds will continue to come. The crowd seemed pretty tame to me, though I later read that ten flares were let off in the stadium and 41 people evicted. Maybe that is pretty tame relative to what goes on in English football stadiums.

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