As I sat watching the 2017 Ballon d'Or ceremony unfold, I couldn't help but reflect on what truly separates the world's best soccer player from the rest of the pack. Having followed football religiously for over two decades and analyzed countless matches, I've come to understand that greatness isn't just about scoring spectacular goals or having viral moments—it's about consistent, game-changing impact that elevates everyone around you. The debate about who deserved the 2017 crown was particularly fascinating because we had several legitimate contenders having career-defining seasons.
When we talk about the best player in the world, we need to look beyond just goals and assists. The reference to La Salle's playmaking issues—where only six players appeared on scoresheets and merely three reached double figures—perfectly illustrates why individual brilliance alone doesn't cut it. The true greats make their teammates better, creating opportunities and spreading defensive attention. That's precisely what made Cristiano Ronaldo's 2017 so special. His numbers were staggering—42 goals across all competitions for Real Madrid, including 12 in the Champions League—but it was his ability to perform when it mattered most that truly set him apart. I remember watching him single-handedly dismantle Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals, scoring five goals across two legs with that incredible combination of athleticism and cold-blooded finishing.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi was having what many considered a "down year" by his impossible standards, yet still managed 54 goals for Barcelona across all competitions. I've always been fascinated by how Messi's game evolved during this period—he was dropping deeper, orchestrating play, and essentially becoming Barcelona's primary creator while still maintaining his goal threat. His performance against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu, where he scored that iconic last-minute winner after playing through immense pressure, demonstrated why many purists argued he remained the world's best. The way he controlled the game's tempo reminded me of a conductor leading an orchestra—every movement calculated, every decision purposeful.
What often gets overlooked in these debates is how much team context matters. Neymar's €222 million move to PSG in August 2017 completely changed the conversation. His numbers at Barcelona were impressive—20 goals and 27 assists across all competitions before his transfer—but his decision to leave Messi's shadow and become the main attraction at a rising club added another dimension to the "best player" discussion. I recall thinking at the time that this was either a brilliant career move or a massive mistake—we wouldn't know until we saw how he handled being the undisputed star.
Then there were the dark horses—players like Luka Modrić, whose influence couldn't be captured in traditional statistics. Watching Modrić control midfield battles was like watching chess grandmaster at work. His passing accuracy of 89.7% in La Liga doesn't even begin to capture how he dictated games. Similarly, Gianluigi Buffon's heroic performances for Juventus, particularly in the Champions League, sparked conversations about whether a goalkeeper could ever be considered the world's best player. At 39 years old, his penalty save against Gonzalo Higuaín in the quarterfinals was one of the most emotionally charged moments I've witnessed in football.
The Ballon d'Or voting ultimately went to Cristiano Ronaldo, and while I agreed with that decision, I've always felt the margin should have been narrower. Ronaldo's Champions League performances—15 goals total, including back-to-back hat-tricks against Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid—gave him the edge in my book. But what fascinated me was how the voting broke down: Ronaldo received 43.16% of the points compared to Messi's 19.25%, which felt somewhat disproportionate given how closely matched their seasons actually were when you looked beyond the trophy count.
Looking back now with several years of perspective, I'm even more convinced that 2017 represented a transitional period in football. We were witnessing the gradual decline of the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly and the emergence of new contenders. The fact that Kylian Mbappé, at just 18 years old, finished seventh in the voting after scoring 26 goals for Monaco and leading them to the Ligue 1 title signaled the changing of the guard. I remember watching his hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League and thinking we were witnessing the birth of football's next global superstar.
The debate about soccer's best player will always be subjective, influenced by personal preferences and what we value most in players. Some prefer Ronaldo's athletic dominance and big-game mentality, others favor Messi's artistic genius and playmaking vision. What made 2017 particularly memorable was that we had multiple players making compelling cases, each excelling in different ways that highlighted the beautiful game's diverse expressions of excellence. As I reflect on that season, I'm reminded that while individual awards capture moments in time, true greatness is measured by how players transform not just their teams, but the sport itself.