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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Richard Jolly

Lionel Messi gets the plaudits but Spain have the real player of the tournament

Lionel Messi Spain Luis De la Fuente Sergio Busquets Martin Zubimendi ”Mbappe Rio Ferdinand Vinicius Junior World Cup Xavi

To quote Rio Ferdinand, “Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or!”.

Although Ferdinand’s most infamously unilluminating piece of punditry was actually about Vinicius Junior, who didn’t win the Ballon d’Or, as Rodri instead did.

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