In December 2007, the Brazilian Kaka won the Ballon d'Or award representing the world's best footballer, originally we thought that after the football elf Xiao Luo, we ushered in the rule of another Brazilian player, but Milan's financial crisis and Kaka's own injury influence led to a cliff-like decline in Kaka's career after the transfer to the Bernabeu, and with the disappearance of Kaka's rule, we ushered in the "double star shining" Mero era.
The greatness of the Merlot era is not only due to the fact that the two compete with each other and achieve each other, but also because of their super long dominance. Meronic era fans generally believe that from the 2008 season to the 2020 season, the 08 season is an important watershed in the history of football, when Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi won the first two Golden Ball Awards, and in the next twelve seasons, except for the 2018 season When Luka Modric won the Ballon d'Or, the rest of the Ballon d'Or Awards were won by Mero. Until the 2021 season, Mero both missed the Champions League quarterfinals, which means that the Mero era is basically over.
In the Mero era, no player can really maintain a high level of competitive status like the duo for a long time, so I think the third person in the Mero era should take turns. People jokingly called: The Iron Merlot, the third in the world of flowing water. Let's objectively analyze the third person in world football after Mero in those years.
2008 season, third man in world football - Fernando Torres (Liverpool era)
In his first season with Liverpool, Torres scored 24 goals in the Premier League, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo in the league goals, and led Liverpool to a good result of fourth in the league.
For the national team, in the 2008 Euro 2008 final, Spain officially won the Delaunay Cup with Torres scoring the only goal of the game. Torres himself not only won the final MVP, but also was selected for the best team in the European Championship, and in the Golden Ball Awards and the World Footballer of the Year, Torres was third. It can be said that At this time Torres was the undisputed third man in football!
2009-2012 season, third man in world football – Javi Hernandez Chrévus (Barcelona)
This was the most competitive period for the third man in football, with candidates including Xavi, Iniesta, Snyder, Rooney, Ibrahimovic and Drogba. Why I think it is Harvey in the end, and look at the following analysis:
Candidate 1: Wesley Snyder (Inter)
To put it unequivocally, the 2010 season is considered by many fans to be the stage that belongs to Sneijder, and Snyder may be the first person in football in the 10th season, when Sneijder not only led Inter to complete the treble, but also won the runner-up of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with the Dutch national team.
2010 was the first year of the union of the Ballon d'Or and the World Footballer of the Year, and in the media votes that year, Sneijder had the highest number of votes, and not winning the Ballon d'Or this season had to be said to be a major regret for Sneijder. So why is Snyder not the third person in world football in this period, in the final analysis, Sneijder's peak period is too short, like a flash in the pan, after the 2010 season, Sneijder's career has not reached the previous heights, and it quickly disappeared after joining Galatasaray.
Candidate two: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
The young and famous little fat Rooney is the historical top scorer king of Manchester United, once Zhan Jun said: There is Lu Xiao Fat at home, blessed and healthy! It is the greatest affirmation of Rooney's ability. In the 2009-2012 season, Ronaldo left the Bernabeu, after the green-leafed Rooney finally became the tactical core of Manchester United, and from 2009 to 2010, in the Premier League, Rooney scored 26 goals in 32 appearances and scored 34 goals in all competitions. At the end of the season, Rooney Nang won three awards: PFA Player of the Year, PFA Fan Selection Player of the Year and British Football Journalists Association Player of the Year. In the 2011 season, Wayne Rooney led Manchester United to continue their march, helping Manchester United to win the 19th league title in the club's history, surpassing the Liverpool league record. In the Champions League, Manchester United also reached the final of the Champions League, but could not compete against the powerful Dream Three team and was relegated to the second place.
But Rooney's national team results are a mess. In the 10-year World Cup in South Africa, Rooney played a total of 342 minutes, without goals and assists, and England was also out early. During euro 2012 (punished by UEFA and suspended for the first two games of the group stage), Rooney only scored his only goal in the third game of the group stage, and England once again stopped in the quarterfinals. Rooney's own strength at his peak did match the identity of the third man, Andey was up to the level of Habeb, but the poor national team results and the club's achievements that were not more brilliant than other candidates for the third person were important factors that led to Wayne Rooney's absence from the third person in world football at this stage.
Candidate III: Zlatan Ibrasimović (Barcelona and Milan)
In the 2009-2010 season, Ibrahimovic joined Barca with the third largest price in the history of football at that time, and in the first season, Ibrahimovic handed over a big double-double of 22 goals and 15 assists, and helped the team win the league title, but the stubborn Ibrahimovic and then Barca manager Guardiola lost the coach, resulting in a season later, Ibrahimovic left San Siro in the form of first rent and then buy. In his two seasons at Milan, Ibrahimovic helped Milan regain the league title after a seven-year absence, and the second season helped the team beat their rival Inter and reach the top of the Italian Super Cup at the Bird's Nest.
Ibrahimovic's ability is beyond doubt, if football is a one-man sport, then he will be stronger than Mero. But Ibrahimovic is also a strange flower in the history of football, technically tall and tall, but he has feet that can play the violin, although he has the belief in focusing on football, he has a restless heart. Frequent team changes, as well as the lack of Champions League champions, coupled with the weakness of the national team's performance. As a result, Ibrahimovic is more like a mercenary in football, with a martial art in the air but unable to dominate!
Candidate 4: Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
At his peak, Drogba was Chelsea's barometer, with a strong body that combines speed, explosiveness and flexibility, a powerful center forward with individual ability and a tactical fulcrum in the front, and a great weapon in the tiki-taka control technology flow of the dream three Barcelonas.
Drogba made an explosion from 2009 to 2010, making 44 appearances, scoring 37 goals and having 12 assists. He led Chelsea to the coveted Champions League title in the 2012 season. Drogba is an omnipotent all-round center forward with no doubt about his personal ability, but he has no advantage over other candidates for third man, neither in terms of team leadership nor commercial popularity.
Candidates 5 and 6: Iniesta and Xavi (Barcelona period)
Until now, I have thought that judging who was the third person of this period among Iniesta and Harvey was an extremely cruel and stupid choice. Both are the irreplaceable founders of Dream Three Barça, the only opponent of Barca in this period is time, Xavi is the commander of this team, he controls the rhythm of the field, is the pivot of attack and defense. Iniesta, on the other hand, is a commando on the field, with a flexible position and agility, ready to deliver a fatal blow to the local defenses. They are all Messi's strongest backers.
In terms of the national team, Iniesta and Xavi teamed up to build the Spanish Armada, which has reached the top of Euro 2008 and the World Cup in 10 years. Harvey was ranked third in the Ballon d'Or (2009-11) for three consecutive years, and Iniesta won the Silver Ball in 10 years and the Bronze Ball in 12 years.
If Iniesta and Xavi had to choose one of them as the third person in world football in this period, I think it was Xavi, for two reasons: first, Xavi, as the midfielder of Dream Three Barcelona and Spain, his role on the field is more important, and he can better guarantee the lower limit of a team's play; second, after Xavi's retirement, Iniesta's performance in clubs or national teams has declined significantly. So I think the third person in world football in the 2009-2012 season was Harvey Hernandez Kreus, because Harvey was the most consistent of these candidates.
2013 season, third man in world football – Frank Ribery (Bayern Munich)
Ribery at the peak of the time is Bayern's attacking brain, he and Robben composition of the Robery combination is even more invincible, about Ribery and Robben strong or weak has been a debated topic, aside from the career of the two, on the 2013 season alone, Ribery is definitely the third person in world football in this period, and even some fans think that FIFA owes Ribery a golden ball in 2013 (the Third Ballon d'Or award this season).
In the 2013 season, Ribery not only pushed Mero to win the 2013 European Player of the Year Award and the FIFA Club World Cup Ballon d'Or, but also led the South King to become the annual five-time champion, there is no doubt that the stage of world football in 2013 belongs to Ribery.
2014 season, third man in world football – Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
Although Neuer is a goalkeeper position, he is always on high alert during the game, repeatedly rushing out of the box, through the header, sliding shovel and de-encircling, killing the opponent's threatening ball from the starting point. Therefore, I prefer to call him a goalkeeper, and in the 2014 season Neuer was able to resist and help the South King win the league title and the Champions League.
In terms of the national team, Neuer led the German team to successfully reach the top of the 14-year World Cup in Brazil and won the World Cup Golden Glove Award, Neuer was also successfully selected for the 2014 World Cup and FIFA Double Best Team of the Year, and ranked third in the final Golden Globe Awards!
It is worth mentioning that some fans believe that in terms of strength, Bale in the 2013-2014 season is also worthy of the third person in world football at that time.
Bale helped Real Madrid score two decisive goals this season, including a classic goal from the outer overtaking Bartra in the Copa del Rey match against Barcelona. But in terms of results and on-field influence, Bale is still inferior to Neuer this year.
Third man in world football from 2015 to 2017 – Neymar da Silva Santos Junier (2015, Barcelona 2017), Antoine Griezmann (2016 Atletico Madrid)
During this period, a group of players in world football are expected to become the third person in the world, and even the players who have impacted Mero's status. These include Neymar, Griezmann, Pogba and Hazard. I think the third person in the world during this period belonged to Neymar in season 15 and season 17, and Griezmann in season 16.
Neymar is the last dancer in the traditional samba style, Neymar is often able to use his whimsical skills to make defenders doubt life, and is an alternative player in modern football that is both ornamental and practical.
The 2015 season is both a year for Messi and Neymar, following the dream three, Barça rose strongly again, under the leadership of the MSN combination, Barça won the Champions League for 15 seasons, and crowned La Liga and the Spanish Copa del Rey, becoming a single-season triple crown, it is worth mentioning that Neymar scored a total of 10 goals in the Champions League in the single season, becoming the top scorer in the Champions League that season. In 2015 and 2017, Neimal finished third at the Ballon d'Or Awards.
Anthony Griezmann (2016 atLetico Madrid)
Excellent nose in front of goal, amazing anticipation ability and superb shooting skills are enough to make Griezmann a good striker. In the 2015-2016 season, after Griezmann joined the Bed sheet army, he scored 22 goals for the team in the league that season, and was successfully elected as the best player in La Liga of the season, and helped the bed sheet army reach the final of the Champions League in the Champions League.
In terms of the national team, Griezmann still has a good performance, in the 16-year European Championship, Griezmann led the Gallic Rooster all the way to the final and won the runner-up, and he himself scored 5 goals in 6 games, winning the Golden Boot and the Best Player Award of the European Cup. In the 2016 Golden Ball awards, Griezmann finished third.
Third man in world football in the 2018 season – Luka Modric (during real Madrid)
The 2018 season was another watershed in world football, the year France became the ST World Cup winner, the Ballon d'Or was no longer monopolized by Mero for the first time in a decade, and the winner of the Ballon d'Or was Ronaldo's teammate Luka Modric.
Small body big energy! Modric's ball is flowing and good in attack and defense, especially the left and right feet are technically balanced, and the physical strength is full of energy while having a very violent long-range shot. Since moving to Real Madrid in 2012, he has helped the team win three consecutive Champions League titles and won the league and cup championships several times, and is the most powerful cadre behind C Ronaldo. In the 2018 season, Modric reached the peak of his career, not only helping Real Madrid achieve the great feat of winning the Champions League three times, but also helping Croatia reach the final.
Modric became the first player to win the world cup Golden Ball, World Footballer of the Year and Ballon d'Or in the same year, achieving the annual individual honor Grand Slam. The titular third person after Merrow deserved it.
The third man in world football in the 2019 season – Phil Gil van Dijk
Van Dijk is a player with excellent frontal defense, air superiority, speed, personal skills and shooting ability, a perfect centre-back, who is in the same gear in the history of the Premier League alongside Ferdinand, Terry, Stam, Kompany and Campbell.
Van Dijk, who is at the peak of his career in the 2019 season, solved Liverpool's worries, under his leadership, Liverpool had both attack and defense, helped the team regain the Champions League after 14 years, and was also elected the best player in the final by UEFA.
The third man in world football in the 2020 season - Robert Lewandowski
Fast forward to the 2020 season, the Mero era is in the last years, and perhaps there are already some players who can compete with Mero in terms of competitive strength, including Robert Lewandowski.
Levan grew up in the Polish league and rose to the peak of his career after joining Bayern. Levan is the perfect centre-forward template for modern football, combining speed, skill, dexterity, strength, bounce and all the qualities a striker needs. In the 2020 season, Levan made 47 appearances for Bayern, scoring 55 goals and having 10 assists, helping Bayern to crown the second "treble" in the club's history. Among them, in the Bundesliga, Champions League and German Cup, Levan has become the top scorer in the Champions League, domestic league and domestic cup with 34 goals, 15 goals and 6 goals respectively, and his outstanding performance has also made Levan elected as the World Footballer of the Year and many other honors.
Time flies, the rule of the Merlez era has basically come to an end, and we are fortunate to witness the glory of this pair of peerless doubles in this era, which is the best era and the worst era, and Merlez masks the light of other stars of the same period. The tide rises and falls, who will be the new generation of football hegemons in the near future? We'll see!