Posted by Oliver Wilson

1. Should Messi have won the Ballon d'Or?

Lionel Messi is the best footballer on the planet right now. The Ballon d'Or is the reward given to the footballer who has had the most impressive and influential 12 months in that calendar year.  Smashing Gerd Muller's goal scroing record is, more then likely, going to be the single most impressive achievement many of us witness while watching the modern game.

But he is far more then just a goalscorer. His touch, his pace, and his physicality all are superior to almost all who take the field to face him and he goes about his business on the pitch with a humility that few others in a similar position would have.

While Cristiano Ronaldo won La Liga in 2012, and Andrea Iniesta picked up the player of the tournament award at this summer's European Championships, Messi broke a record that has stood for 40 years in world football and the Argentinian's achievement will probably stand for over another 40 more. He did it in style, with class, and without anyone else approaching his skill or level of ability. We shouldn't ask whether he deserves the Ballon d'Or, but why we questioned whether he'd win it.

2. Is it shocking that FIFA's World XI side only included La Liga players?

It's  unsurprising to see that the FIFA's World XI contained only players from La Liga - and really, aside form Falcao, only players from Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Yes we here in England will protest this and claim that the Premier League is the 'best league in the world', and on entertainment value that may be true.  But which players in Manchester United's starting XI would you bring into this World XI squad?  Robin van Persie maybe?

There are only a handful of names of players in the Premier League that stick out above any of the players in the squad chosen by FIFA. Van Persie is a possibility, but is he better then either Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or Falcao, arguably the best finisher in the world right now.  Would Juan Mata replace Xavi, Xavi Alonso or Andrea Iniesta? Sergio Aguero, Manchester City's last minute hero is another who could possibly make the squad, but he falls foul of the same problems as RVP.

Others have clamored for Andrea Pirlo's name to be included in the list but, like Mata, he too struggles to get past what is an elite midfield.

The back-four could arguably shuffled around, with Vincent Kompany, last year's Premier League Player of the year should be included, but both Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos are hard to argue with.

Similarly Jordi Alba could be included in the squad at full-back, but that would just replace one La Liga star with another.

FIFA might as well have tossed a coin to choose between Petr Cech and Iker Casillas for the role of goal keeper, but the Spaniard won the Euro's and La Liga, while Cech brought home just one piece of silverware in 2012.

It's frustrating and highly debatable, but the fact of the matter is that there are two teams on the planet that possess 10 of the worlds best players.

3. Should Zlatan have been given a place in the World XI?

Zlatan, Zlatan, Zlatan.  The lynchpin in the Rossoneri's attack for the first half of the year, the driving force behind his national sides Euro 2012 campaign, and the man who Paris St Germain are, even with all their stars and millions of Euros, seemingly reliant on when their backs are against the wall.

He scored, arguably, the best goal of 2012 against England in November and he's been the driving force of almost every side he's played for. A case could easily be made for his involvement in FIFA's World XI, but their is also a case against him holding a starting spot in their side.  He's played, in 2012, in both Serie A and Ligue 1. Neither league is considered, anymore, as one of the premier leagues in Europe and, while he has achieved a lot over the last 12-months, he didn't win a league title, a Champions League, a Europa League or a European Championships winners medal.

Messi and Ronaldo are the two best players in the world, while Falcao is playing in one of Europe's top two leagues and lifted both the Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup in the calendar year.  Zlatan should be just behind him, but Falcao has earned his place in FIFA's dream XI.