Lionel Messi,Cristiano Ronaldo are "selfish" footballers? Pogba

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has discussed the notion that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are "selfish" footballers.


The Frenchman has refuted claims that the Argentine superstar and the Portuguese talisman are greedy players, suggesting that their ability helps their teams score goals and win games.

"If Messi scores, does that make him selfish?" Pogba asked during an interview with La Repubblica.

"No, being strong lets you help the team. Take Cristiano Ronaldo. He sets himself some incredibly high objectives, he's ambitious, he wants to beat every record, and he wants the Ballon d'Or. That's not selfishness.

Japanese Professional Footballers' Association Named Cristiano Ronaldo Best Player In The World

Cristiano Ronaldo has again been voted the best player in the world by the Japanese Professional Footballers' Association.

Awards has just keep on coming for Cristiano Ronaldo. 

The Ballon d'Or winner's latest accolade comes all the way from Japan, where the Japanese Professional Footballers' Association has named him the best player in the world.

The Portuguese ace comfortably beat out his competitors, Leo Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Franck Ribéry, in the vote conducted among Japanese players, proving that his stock remains sky-high all over the planet.

Cristiano is thrilled by the gong he has been awarded in Japan, particularly as it is voted for by his fellow professionals. 

He has extra grounds to be grateful to the Japanese national team captain, Makoto Hasebe, who named CR7 his first pick for the Ballon d'Or, ahead of Müller and Messi. 

The same goes for the Japan coach, Italian Alberto Zaccheroni, who plumped for Cristiano ahead of Ibrahimovic and Messi.

Ronaldo is one of the most popular players in Asia and has an especially strong following in Japan, where his iconic status means he is regularly approached regarding big-money endorsement deals.

Indeed, he is one of the main faces of Nike Japan and pictures of him are everywhere at shopping centres.

Mourinho: Hazard can be on par with Messi & Ronaldo, but must build his 'political entourage' in order to win the Ballon d'Or

The Chelsea boss says the midfielder can become one of the world's greatest players but admits the Belgian must build his 'political entourage' in order to win the Ballon d'Or

Jose Mourinho believes Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard has the ability to match the levels of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Belgium international has been a key figure in Chelsea’s title pursuit this season, scoring nine goals in 22 Premier League games.

And while Mourinho claims the 23-year-old possesses the determination required to become one of the best players in the world, he admits Hazard’s position as a winger will restrict his opportunities in front of goal.

"Does he have the capacity to reach the level of a Messi or Cristiano? Now I say yes, because his evolution is great,” Mourinho told reporters. 

“He has time to become a great, great player and arrive where they are – he's 23, and Cristiano is 28, Messi 26 – so there is space for further evolution, and there's a great ambition in him. 

“They are also top goalscorers, of course, and that makes them even more special. Eden is a winger, a pure winger, so I don't think it's possible for Eden to be top scorer in the league. That normally affects people's judgement.

"But if he can be a match-winner, a player with high performances during a season, what I feel now in him is responsibility in every aspect. 

“Against Manchester United he made a fantastic tackle in our own box. 

“Against Stoke, he tried to kill the game, have initiative, dribbling at people, trying to make things happen. The kid is going in a fantastic direction."

But despite his praise, the Chelsea manager warns that Hazard may have to do more off the pitch in order to stand a realistic chance of winning the Ballon d’Or.

"If he wants the Ballon d'Or, he must build the entourage politically for that," Mourinho said. 

"Without the entourage and the politics, he doesn't get the Ballon d'Or. That's a different story."