Best Ballon d'Or Selfie: Neymar and Messi (Video)

Why Gareth Bale's Ahead of Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar and Rooney

Gareth Bale on top after hat-trick in Real v. Deportivo match. Credit: Reuters

Gareth Bale is head and shoulders above the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic this season – and that’s official.

While the Wales talisman is renowned for his pace and magic wand of a left foot, it’s his heading ability which has seen him climb above the rest.

Going into this weekend’s round of matches, the Real Madrid star is sitting on top the table of headed goals in Europe’s big five leagues.

Bale’s two headers which formed part of his hat-trick in Real’s 5-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna took his total to six in La Liga so far this campaign – leaving the rest of the continent’s big names trailing.

Barcelona duo Messi and Neymar (admittedly not renowned headers of the ball) have yet to net with their heads, with Manchester United’s Rooney also drawing a blank.

Zlatan has just the one headed goal to his credit for Paris St Germain, while Bale’s Real teammate Ronaldo has two, joined by the likes of Luis Suarez (Barcelona), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Jamie Vardy (Leicester) and Edinson Cavani (PSG) on that number.

The 26-year-old Bale, who also scored two headers to help Wales into the Euro 2016 finals, faces his biggest challenge from the Premier League, with Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud having nodding in five and Romelu Lukaku, of Everton, with four. The Toffees’ striker is joined on the mark by Ligue 1 Angers’ Cheikh N’Doye, the Senegal striker reportedly a target for West Brom.

Those on three include Bale’s Real teammate Karim Benzema, Anthony Modeste (Cologne), Aduriz (Athletic Bilbao), Leonardo Pavoletti (Genoa) and Crystal Palace defender Scott Dann. [Source]

Football Commentator Sacked: Fell Asleep During Barcelona Match

Russian commentator Vasily Utkin sacked for sleeping on the job. Credit: Reuters

Some have described the current Barcelona teams as the best of all time but even watching the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar was not enough to keep one Russian TV commentator awake.

Vasily Utkin –  a lead commentator for the new Russian state sports broadcaster Match TV – was watching Luis Enrique’s side face Bayer Leverkusen in a Champions League tie in December when he accidentally dozed off at the end of the first half of the 1-1 draw. Utkin has now been suspended despite the fact that he claims to suffer from a chronic sleep disorder.

“I am convinced that [the suspension] is due to this commentary in the game between Bayer and Barça. But I wasn’t spoken to just about this game,” he told the TASS agency.

“I can explain what happened in the match. For a few years, I’ve been suffering from chronic sleep disorder. It just so happened that at the end of the first half, I fell asleep and I was talking in my sleep.

“Naturally, it is very easy to understand that this is the case, because in the second half there were no problems at all.” [Source]

Neymar Ordered to Testify in Court

Neymar and parents to appear in court Feb 2.

Spain’s national court has ordered Neymar to testify in an investigation into alleged irregularities involving his transfer to Barcelona. The court says Neymar’s parents, the former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell and the current president Josep Bartomeu will also have to appear before a judge. The Brazil striker is set to testify on Feb. 2.

The national court last year rejected Neymar’s request to throw out a probe into the irregularities. The court is looking into a complaint made by a Brazilian investment group which claims it was financially harmed when Barcelona and Neymar allegedly withheld the real amount of the player’s transfer fee from the Brazilian club Santos in 2013.

The complaint made in June by the investment group DIS names Neymar, his father and Barcelona as defendants, along with Rosell and Bartomeu. [Source]

Lionel Messi Wins 5th Ballon d'Or

Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or award for the world's best player for the fifth time.

The 28-year-old beat club-mate Neymar of Brazil and Real Madrid's Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

Either Messi or Ronaldo, who became a three-time winner last year, have won the past eight awards. -- Source: BBC

FIFA Ballon d'Or Ceremony 2016 Time and Date

Are you anxious to find out who will win FIFA's Player of the Year? If so, set your watch to GMT. The ceremony starts around 5:30 p.m. GMT at Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland.