By Chia Han Keong

IT SEEMS odd that football loves to hand out individual awards to outstanding players when it is a sport where collective team effort is paramount.

In this context, the 52-yearold Ballon d'Or - awarded to Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo yesterday - is even more quaint.

Before last year, this highly- prestigious award used to narrow the talent field to just Europe- based footballers - and if you think it was unwise to leave out the dazzling players in South America, consider that the award even left out non-Europeans until 1995.

It meant Diego Maradona, who guided Napoli to two Italian Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990, was not even shortlisted because he was Argentinian.

Outrageous! Thankfully, the France Football magazine, which hands out this annual award, has done away with such a parochial attitude.

Otherwise, Ronaldo would have won by a landslide - as Barcelona's Lionel Messi, the other major contender, is Argentinian, and would have been ineligible.

Both took turns to dominate European football this year.

In the first half, Ronaldo was unquestionably the shining star, scoring an unprecedented 42 goals from the winger position as he led Man United to domestic and European triumphs.

Then he struggled at Euro 2008, and subsequently went for an ankle operation.

And Messi took over.

I caught the diminutive winger at the Beijing Olympics football final.

Just witnessing his sublime skills was worth the admission price, as his instinctive pass produced the winning goal.

Still only 21, he has an Olympic gold, and has made Barcelona a near-unstoppable force in the latter half of the year.

He is a worthy alternative to Ronaldo, and fans would not cry foul as when Igor Belanov of the former Soviet Union won the Ballon d'Or ahead of Maradona in 1986.

Indeed, that's the only saving grace of such individual awards - for us fans to remember, savour and debate those moments stamped into our memory by brilliant footballers.

Ronaldo or Messi' In fact, why just stop at a single award?

The France Football magazine should hand out a whole slew of awards to mark the year - just like the Oscars or Grammys.

Here are my suggestions for possible award-winners:

Best Baby-faced Assassin:
It must be Fernando Torres.Handsome enough to make girls swoon, the Spaniard was also absolutely deadly with 35 goals last season.Don't forget - he also scored Spain's winning goal at the Euro 2008 final.

Best Moment of Outrageous Skill:
Ronaldo's free-kick against Portsmouth. From nearly 30m out, he left England's No. 1 goalkeeper David James rooted to the spot with this brutally- direct, incomprehensibly- fast shot.

Best Comeback Kings:
Surely, Turkey's Euro 2008 team win this hands down.Three stunning last-gasp turnarounds saw them reach the semi-finals of the tightly-contested tournament.

Best Last-Gasp Winner:
Again, Turkey win this, with Nihat Kahveci's stoppage-time goal capping a stunning comeback against the Czech Republic, after being 0-2 down with 15 minutes to go. Exhilarating.

Worst Miss:
John Terry's penalty slip-up shut the door on Chelsea's dreams of a first European Cup. Tears ensued.

And finally, my Ballon d'Or winner:
Messi. While Ronaldo has won more trophies, his dalliance with Real Madrid and his penchant to "earn" penalties and free-kicks irked many, me included. Messi is two years younger, far less cynical, and ready to rule Europe. Let's toast to the future, rather than reward the past.

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