FUT 15 Celebrates 6 Years by Giving Away Free Packs!

EA is currently celebrating 6 years of FUT and to celebrate they are offering players free FIFA 15 packs this week. Until Sunday March 29, you can claim a free FIFA 15 pack on PS4 and Xbox One at 6pm UK time every day as of now. Fans will receive untradeable Gold rare packs in their account, one for each day. To get the new rare gold packs fans just need to open their FUT 15 store on their PC or console. The new packs will be posted in the ‘My Packs’ section, with each pack including 12 rare cards that you cannot sell. “As a thank you for your support, we’ll be giving every FUT 15 fan one free pack every day,” an EA statement reads. “The FUT Birthday Cup – play at least one match in the FUT 15 Birthday Cup for a chance to win rare tradable In-Forms from previous Team of Weeks! (Winners will be chosen at later date). “New pack offers will be available every day, be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to keep up to date with the latest offers.” You can see a list of players that are possible by clicking the image below.
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EA server problems with FIFA 15 transfer market down

The FIFA Ultimate Team Transfer Market is down at the moment with hundreds taking to social media to vent their dismay of it not working for them. There is a huge EA outage at the moment and the server is down for a while, and because the server is down many games are suffering such as FIFA 15 (FUT). Other games include Battlefield and Madden according to Product Reviews.

FUT 15 will not be accessible via Companion and Web apps, there has not been any rough time this will come back online. In the meantime EA will continue to access the state of the Transfer Market. You can still access the Transfer Market via the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4. This has been classed as a very important maintenance. Time will tell. Gamers are not happy, one FIFA player said they purchased 2 million coins not so long ago and now they cannot get onto FIFA. Are you having EA server problems with FIFA 15 transfer market being down?
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FIFA 15 1.05 PS4 update live with notes

The new FIFA 15 1.05 update just went live today on PS4, which has a file size of 328.3MB with detailed patch notes as well. Normally, when you click update history on PS4 game icons you won’t see a detailed changelog for many games, although this FIFA 15 PS4 update on March 9 has full patch notes given. We have included a couple of screenshots on this page that detail the file size and latest update history for FIFA 15 on PlayStation 4. You can clearly see the 328.3 MB size, much smaller than many downloads, and also the full 1.05 PS4 update notes. Again, the list of changes isn’t particularly long.

The patch includes stability improvements to Friendly Seasons in Ultimate Team Seasons, other improved functionality to the Compare Price feature in FUT, and other stability issues have been fixed on PS4 in Pro Clubs, Online Seasons, and EASFC Match Day Challenges. You will also see the MLS expansion teams have been added to the “Rest of World” league for Online Matches and Kick-off, which include New York City FC and Orlando City. Did your FIFA 15 PS4 update install without problems, or did your download hit an issue? If you did have any issues, or even think something is missing from this update, then we would love to hear about it. http://fifacoinszzz.cb-blog.com/?p=105999 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fifacoinsshopscouk/1385590515083085 https://plus.google.com/u/0/103186794424195725412/ https://twitter.com/Bobbyfifacoinss

FIFA 15' Ultimate Team Web App & Updates: Manage Your Team With New Companion App

"FIFA 15's" excitement may have worn down. It's getting cold across the nation and it seems that gamers are not interested in playing as much soccer as they used to. However, there is now an even easier way to enjoy features of the game. A Windows Phone application is available. This is a companion app to the game and allows gamers to manage their Ultimate Team when they cannot be at their home consoles. This free app works in companion to the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game. It only requires gamers to obtain an Origin account. Origin accounts are free and easy to setup. EA Sports' "FIFA 15" is still the go-to simulator when it comes to football (soccer). Its competitor Pro Evolution Soccer has not been able to get anywhere near the success that FIFA enjoys. http://fifacoinszzz.eqs.vn/2015/03/02/old-buy-fut-coins/ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fifautcoinsforsalecouk/364964386961449 https://plus.google.com/u/0/103186794424195725412/ https://twitter.com/Bobbyfifacoins

10 ways FIFA 15 Ultimate Team drives us crazy

By far the most popular game mode on EA's legendary footie sim is FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), which since its introduction in 2009 has allowed millions upon millions of gamers to become virtual talent scouts and expert managers. According to EA, this year, 542,000 transfers are listed per hour, with 11,000 matches played each day. So, we all agree it's great, glad we've got that out the way – now, on to what makes us want to stamp on the disc with studded boots. 1. There's not enough cash Wealth doesn't come easy, and after all, it's coins that matter in a mode that's basically a footballing stock market, complete with wages to foot. Thankfully EA is addressing dodgy dealing loopholes and bots that have plagued Ultimate Team and made it just downright unfair, but there should be more bonuses for exceptional play and individual skill, instead of having to look online for convoluted ways to hustle another small handful of coin in FIFA. That said, it's nice to be able to be able to plan future dream teams with the new Concept Squad feature. 2. It's not often pretty football Games often play out with high balls being lofted from one end to the other and mad scrambles, with the goalkeeper either making wonder saves or being rounded three times with four minutes to go. Long shots are really difficult to pull off unless you've got the most expensive players, tackling is harder so fast strikers simply speed through your defence and penalties come thick and fast (We've explored these issues in more depth before). It all gets a bit tiring and it's sometimes hard to know if you've spent your money well when the gameplay can feel so random. 3. Packs are rubbish Yeah, yeah, it's a bit of thrill to open a pack and hope for the best, but just as when you were a kid, all you'll usually get is disappointment (when opening the pack, not just with childhood life in general). Okay, yes, you'll get great players eventually, but you'll have to part with a lot of dough. You're better off in the transfer market building a team packed with affordable players with high chemistry (rather than having one or two big stars), but then that's all such a headache. Okay, we'll try just one more pa… OH NOT YOU AGAIN! 4. It's too rigid You are free to build your ultimate team, so why can't you get them to play where you like? Aren't you meant to be the boss? I mean, it's us who's paid for these players (and the game), so you should be able to mix positions and formations up a bit more. Custom tactics are also a fiddly, administrative mess that takes up a lot of time, especially when you have to set everything up repeatedly from game to game. 5. It's not emotional enough Yes, the players have got a fresh lick of emotion on the pitch, but it's quite a sterile environment for actually creating a team; more like a science lesson followed by double maths than the attachment you get from watching a real team develop. Fine, it isn't real life, it's a market trading simulation game, but it would be good if players interacted and built chemistry in more human ways, rather than earning loyalty in a cold, stat-based fashion. Basically, we want more reports of hugs and player strops. And we want a virtual Wenger-style Puffa coat while we deal with it. 6. Missing legends Sure, he only cost £1.2 million when Sir Alex bought him way back in 1992 (and he kung-fu kicked a fan) but Eric Cantona's name is still sung at Old Trafford week in week out to this day, so how come EA can't remember him? Also, while we're at Man Utd, where's George Best? Yet Robbie Fowler gets the nod… Someone at EA's obviously a fan of awful punditry and extremely gelled hair. 7. It's really hard for casual players FUT is not something you can dip your toe into. Some will never quite understand it, and even though you’re in the minority it can be frustrating to have a game mode on your £45 purchase that you never really get into. It's especially frustrating when the transfer market still has occasional glitches, you know the sort of thing, like having your gold taken when you didn't even win the bid. Nothing’s perfect and it's incredibly smooth when you consider 13 million transfers are listed per day, but it's very frustrating when you don't feel in control. 8. It hasn't changed enough Disclaimer: Ultimate Team is incredible. But! But is it all starting to get a bit… repetitive? There's no doubt it's brought joy to the masses and shifted more copies of the franchise for EA than all the other modes combined, but, with the exception of loan players and Concept Squads, it's all pretty much the same as last year, just with slightly worse gameplay. In FIFA 16/17 it would be great to see a complete overhaul, maybe a completely new optional mode with the old FUT still in place, before someone else offers one instead. 9. It's very expensive Aside from the cost involved within the virtual world of Ultimate Team, and the cost if you actually spend your real money, it's a dent in the wallet to have to buy a new copy of FIFA every year if all you're interested in is FUT, which many are (64 per cent according to EA). A standalone FUT game at half the price would be nice. 10. Finally, people who won't stop On the other hand, don't you ever sometimes just get Ultimate bloody Team fatigue? When you just want to stick in the disc and load up a quick game of United v City, in whatever stadium, with whatever kit and… shock horror… whatever old line up you're offered? But no, there's always someone wanting to tinker for what seems like hours (because it is hours) before even kicking the ball, by which time you've gone to bed. Sometimes it's good to just play.
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FUT 15 - FUT winter upgrades date and more players

FUT 15 – FUT winter upgrades Part Two Take a look at FUT 15 Top 20 – FUT winter upgrades – Part One here. With the TOTY release now out of the way, Fifa 15 players can now switch their attention to the impending release of the FUT winter upgrades. Many players see this is as a great trading opportunity and are keen to make investments and maximise profit from the upgraded players. Through this slideshow we will list the date that the first batch of FUT winter upgrades are set to be released, as well as how the upgrades work and the trading implications. We will then look at a further 20 possible players that look set to receive winter upgrades, in addition to the 20 we covered last time. Date We now know the slated date for the first batch of FUT winter upgrades, which is Friday 13th February, with players most likely entering packs at 6pm GMT. This means that you still have a couple of weeks to assess to market and comb through our suggestions and invest your coins. Last year EA released their winter upgrades in two batches, one in mid-February and then the other at the start of March, so don’t be too worried if your chosen player to trade doesn’t come out straight away. Patience is often the name of the game and tracking player prices will bring you the best results. How they Work and Trading Tips No In-Forms For players receiving an upgrade who have had no in-form then the winter upgrade is simple. The current cards on the market and in your club stay at their rating and the upgraded card comes it only in packs. The result will be a drop in price in the old, lower-rated card and a high price for the new card (especially in the first few days where supply is low and demand is high.) Gold In-Forms For players with one or more gold in-form cards, things are a little different. Again the regular card on the market and in your club stays at the same rating and the upgraded card comes it only in packs. However, the in-forms both on the market and in the club receive a ‘live’ boost equal to that of the upgrade. So if Lacazette gets upgraded from a 79 to an 81 the following will happen. His 79 card will not change, but will be replaced in packs with his 81 card. His 80 and 81 rated in-forms that people own will automatically be upgraded to 82 and 83 in-forms, with stats upgraded to correspond with his new overall. Investing in gold in-forms who will receive an upgrade is therefore very profitable. Whilst an 81 Lacazette in-form goes for around 500,000 coins, an 83-rated Lacazette could be worth in excess of a million coins and you don’t have to do anything yourself. Silver In-Forms The same applies for silver in-forms most of the time, except in one crucial case. If a silver player gets upgraded to a gold, their silver in-forms do not get upgraded. So, for example, if Kane gets upgraded from a 68 silver to a 75 gold, his 71 silver in-form will stay the same. Here are some of the players to watch out for during the winter upgrades, including a player that could get upgraded to 5 star skills:
20 – Isco Current Rating – 83 New Rating – 85 Isco has two in-forms that could well be worth investing in. His 85 rated in-form is already popular in those strong La Liga sides that you tend to see. He has had a consistent season for Real Madrid and has impressively stood out amongst a team of stars, which is no easy feat. http://fifacoinszzz.pixnet.net/blog/post/292238680 http://thablacklist.com/ads/your-old-fut-coins-cheapest/ http://fifacoinszzz.cb-blog.com/?p=104269 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fifaultimateteamcoinscheapcouk/780374792017971

FIFA 15 Wishlist: 15 Improvements It Must Make

FIFA is always one of the best selling titles of the year and it will be no different in a few months time when FIFA 15 arrives. Unfortunately, EA Sports could be doing a lot better with their flagship title. There are many issues with the current edition, FIFA 14, ranging from gameplay, game modes and general menu navigation. EA is sure to have identified many of the problems and will be working to fix them. However, there’s bound to be many more in FIFA 15. I’ve recently identified 10 improvements FIFA 15 Ultimate Team must have but this article will focus on the game as a whole, rather than individual game modes. We’re yet to find out what additions EA have added to FIFA for the next edition but as it’s the first edition to be released on a Nextgen console, at the same time as other releases, we can expect a lot of improvements that will take our favourite game to the next level. So, let’s get started. If you think I’ve missed anything or have any other ideas be sure to comment below, we’d love to hear your views!
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FIFA 15: Celtic Player Rating Predictions

The release date for FIFA 15 is creeping ever closer, and as EA Sports typically hold off on dumping all of the relevant new information on us, various leaks and piecemeal official announcements have painted a very broad picture of the upcoming game. It’s going to be good-looking, it’s going to be immersive, and it’s going to sell as huge a number as it always does – these things are not up for debate. Whether EA Sports will have ironed out all of the kinks and glitches that blighted last year’s game – and addressed the frustrating issue of handicapping in a more intelligent manner – is still up for debate, and so too is how well the developers will do in rating the players in-game. Notoriously, each annual release comes with the almighty compromise that some ratings will be glaringly, horribly wrong, and others will be a tiny bit wrong: inevitably it is those mistakes that are noticed more than how right they were in giving Daniel Sturridge 88 for finishing. As is traditional, the leaks of supposed FIFA team ratings have already began to appear, with the top sides in the Premier League in focus, but it’s important also to look to the other European powers in the game. Will Real Madrid get 100s across the board for their ridiculous squad? Will Luis Suarez’s mental stats be as colourful as his rap sheet? And most importantly of all, how will Scottish champions Celtic shape up after another SPL win, but an even start to this campaign? With that in mind, we’re rating the 12 key players in the Bhoys squad ahead of FIFA 15’s official unveiling… http://fifacoinszzz.blog.fc2blog.us/blog-entry-12.html http://fifacoinszzz.tarlog.com/post/15/
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FIFA 15: 10 Highest-Rated Premier League Players Leaked

FIFA 15 isn’t out yet, but that hasn’t stopped a series of leaks from seeping through the many porous cracks of the internet regarding EA Sport’s latest football simulated venture. ’15 – the latest in the popular franchise – isn’t due to hit shop shelves until September 26 here in the United Kingdom but already we have seen a succession of leaked player ratings. Player ratings are a pretty big deal in FIFA. Scored out of 100, these ratings reflect upon how well players performed in the real world of football over the past 12 months and dictate how they fare in the console and computer iterations. So for example if a striker scored 20 goals last term, you could be pretty sure of seeing him somewhere in the 80-points’ bracket in ’15. Leaked player rating for the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United have already been supposedly unveiled well ahead of FIFA’s official release next month, and now there’s a list purporting to show the leaked 10 highest-rated Premier League players in the upcoming footy game as well. This list contains many stars you’d expect to see, but also packs a few surprises. Despite their dreadful season under David Moyes in 2013-14, THREE Man Utd players make the supposed top 10, according to the leak, while there’s no room at all for Liverpool – who finished second last term – meaning the likes of Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge miss out. To find out who DID make the top 10, click ‘next’ to begin.
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FIFA 15: 15 Ratings EA Sports Have Got Completely Wrong

Last Sunday, one of the most eagerly-anticipated days in the run-up to the release of FIFA 15 passed as EA Sports finished their countdown of the top 50-rated players in the upcoming football simulation title. Since Wednesday 3rd, the publishers have been teasing out player ratings 10 at-a-time, and yesterday finished with their top ten. Throughout the course of this reveal, EA threw up many surprises. Players who many expected to be further up in the standings were instead released early and with an inferior score while some on this list haven’t budged an inch from last year’s game in spite of putting in some excellent personal performances over the last 365 days. Ratings in ’15 are based on players’ performances over the course of the last 12 months, and are intended to reflect on how their virtual counterparts stack up in EA’s digital football world. Yet there are a series of stars who have played better than these ratings suggest during that period and it’s not hard to find gripes with FIFA’S top 50. Whether it’s a completely harsh downgrade, an inexplicable upgrade or a static rating, we’ve rounded up 15 Ratings EA Sports Have Got Completely Wrong in FIFA 15 – and we also have a bone to pick with the No.1 rated player, too. To find out why, and so much more besides, click ‘next’ to get started. http://fifacoinsz.egloos.com/5657795 http://fifacoinszzz.blogdiario.com/1423272565/ http://fifacoinszzz.eqs.vn/2015/02/07/fifa-15-coins/ http://f.tuneout.net/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=40049

FIFA 15: 10 Over-Rated Players Who Need Downgrading In January Updates

Sometimes you just have to sit back and wonder how some of EA Sports’ employees deserve to make a living. You also have to wonder if some of the developers at EA are football fans or have access to a television in their caves to see what actually goes on in the real-life version of their leading game. Let’s start off by giving credit where credit is due. FIFA is almost untouchable in the football gaming stakes. Pro Evolution, as quirky as it once was, has severely dropped off since the release of the PlayStation 3 back in 2007. This lack of competition means us football fans, who enjoy a dabble on a console from time to time, have to accept the ratings EA awards as gospel even if we vehemently disagree with them. FIFA’s dominance means they must have the cream of the crop working for them, right? Wrong. Every year the game has glitches and problems that, to a less than expert gamer even, look simple to eradicate. All this before the players’ ratings are taken into consideration. Of course, a dodgy looking player rating isn’t entirely EA’s fault. A player can rope them in with a string of fine displays before going on the most barren of spells that leaves fans and pundits bewildered. These players, that have often just secured a big move after becoming too ‘good’ for their old club, make chairman, managers, supporters and game developers look like morons. It’s a weird food-chain of unfulfilled promise. Here are 10 players that need their ratings decreased when the January updates come into play.
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Chelsea striker and Arsenal playmaker star in FIFA 15 team of the week

Chelsea's star striker Diego Costa was once again in tremendous form on their weekend trip to Wales where they smashed Swansea City 5-0. As a result of his performance, EA have awarded him his second inform card of the season, and he has the highest rating of all this week's star-11 with an overall of 87. The Spaniard was found by Fabregas with acres of space in the Swansea box for Chelsea's second of the game, and was gifted his second and Chelsea's third by Swansea defender Federico Fernandez. The Argentine allowed Costa to pick up his awful backpass and slot the ball past the despairing Lukasz Fabianski. Costa rounded off a fine display by assisting Brazilian playmaker Oscar for his second of the game, making the score 4-0 at the time. Arsenal's little magician Santi Cazorla is the second standout Premier League man that features. The Spanish playmaker was in phenomenal form for the Gunners in their surprise 2-0 win over reigning champions Manchester City. Cazorla duly dispatched a spot-kick to send Arsenal one-up after Vincent Kompany was adjudged to have tripped Nacho Monreal. He turned provider to seal all three points for Arsene Wenger's side by landing a free-kick right on the head of Olivier Giroud, who nodded home from close range. It is also the 30-year-old's second inform of the season and he has been awarded an 86 overall central-midfield card, which is a position change and a boost of two ratings compared to his standard card. New Southampton winger Eljero Elia and Crystal Palace's Dwight Gayle also make appearances on this week's substitutes' bench. Also Manchester United supporters will be gutted to see 'The one that got away' in Paul Pogba receiving his second inform of the season; he is now rated at 85 overall. See below for the full FIFA Ultimate Team team of the week first 11 and their ratings.
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Best Fifa 15 celebration ever? Watch players get down to Uptown Funk after scoring a goal

Is there anything better than firing in a beauty on Fifa 15? Well if you know how to celebrate like these guys, then the joys of burying a chance are even sweeter. One of the great things about the Fifa franchise is the ability to choose your own celebration – it certainly comes in handy when you’re rubbing an opponent’s nose in a last-minute winner – but the Fifa Pro Club guys have taken the party to a new level with this outrageous video set to mega-hit Uptown Funk. There’s a lot to be said for Alan Shearer’s famous extended-arm celebration, but when you can dance like this lot to the Mark Ronson jam, then why not get involved in some moves that are normally reserved for the Saturday night dancefloor? This particular video is taken from a game that pits a team of online players against another, and they strike up a hilarious bit of rhythm after taking the lead with a superb solo goal. Don’t believe it? Just watch! https://fifacoinszzz.wordpress.com/2015/01/31/when-employing-muskie-fifa-15-ultimate-team-ps4/ http://fifacoinszzz.blogdiario.com/1422671513/ http://fifacoinszzz.webpin.com/blog_in-species-of-fish-to-promote-for-lots-of-fifa-15-xbox-360.html http://fifacoinszzz.myhq.com/fifacoinszzz/view?id=6

FIFA’s Global Stadium opens for #WorldCup fans to #Joinin biggest conversation in history

FIFA has revealed details of its Global Stadium, a social, online and mobile hub for the FIFA World Cup, which will help billions of football fans share their excitement and stay in touch with all the action.

The Global Stadium doors will open for each of the 64 matches of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ so that fans can follow the action live, minute-by-minute, and engage with friends, players, coaches and fellow fans across the globe while supporting their favourite teams at the tournament. Fans can also exclusively win the actual kick-off ball from the match and vote for the Man of the Match.

FIFA.com has been redesigned in the run-up to the tournament with the social football fan in mind and this is complemented by a strong presence on social media. In April 2014 alone, FIFA’s Facebook pages reached over 280 million users, the World Cup page currently has more than 18 million fans, and there are over seven million FIFA followers on Twitter, who frequently retweet and engage in conversation across the six language accounts. The FIFA.com site is optimised for mobile, and the official World Cup app will launch in early June.

Consumption habits are changing and the “second screen” has transformed the traditional TV viewing experience with consumers using smartphones and tablets to engage more, particularly with sports content.

Walter De Gregorio, FIFA Director of Communications & Public Affairs, commented:

“We aim to provide an all-round digital companion so that billions of fans can join in and share their excitement. Only the World Cup and digital can create this worldwide conversation.”

FIFA will be using the following hashtags: #WorldCup and #Joinin while each match will have its own hashtag.

The accompanying Global Stadium infographic gives some top tips on how to make the most of the World Cup hub.

About FIFA’s digital platforms
FIFA.com is the world’s official digital home of the FIFA World Cup and the online heart of football. It is also a one-stop shop for retail, event ticketing, accommodation and hospitality.

Via our official app and social media accounts, we encourage the billions of football fans to #JoinIn and share the excitement of the #WorldCup in FIFA’s Global Stadium.

Constantly updated, FIFA.com offers the latest news, live scores from 197 world leagues, video highlights, historical data, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes access and – through the free FIFA.com Club – a global meeting point for people who love football.

Athletic beauty on the field, and a vacant stare off it

The dream factory with its golden aristocracy of screen deities, bathed in the light of a million flashbulbs; red carpet royalty who have levitated far beyond the reality of life as lived by the common man.

And the football factory, beloved of the common man worldwide, its gates thrown open every weekend to the heaving masses, its stars the royalty of street and slum and a million boozers.

But of the two, it was the FIFA Ballon d'Or shindig in Zurich that seemed more like la la land. The Golden Globes in LA, by comparison, was as dirt-gritty as a dilapidated breeze block dressing-room.

The contrast exemplified how uncool sport is in its civvies. And of all the sports, soccer probably takes the brass ring for its sheer all-round naff culture. And of course it has no idea how naff it appears to the outside world. It is so big and so rich that it doesn't have to engage with the rest of society. It is a sealed off, self-contained monolith with its own enormous self-sustaining economy. It is the oil industry of the sports industry; it is so rich it can do as it pleases. It exists in a cocoon of oblivious self-regard. It is a monument to corporate conformity. It is impervious to outside influences, critical voices, alternative modes of thinking. The internal air conditioning seems rarely to be freshened by a cold blast of self-awareness. It has all the self-awareness of a spoiled rich kid. It has terrible taste; it doesn't read books. It has a bent moral compass, a massive bank account and no life of the mind.

It is remarkable that a sport which liberates the physical imagination like no other could be quite so dumb.

The Ballon d'Or went to Cristiano Ronaldo, the very embodiment of football's athletic beauty on the field, and its vacant stare off it.

The game has always attracted its share of brown-envelope businessmen and imitation Crombie coats. Now that it has gone Wall Street, it attracts all kinds of millionaire-billionaire carpet-baggers with big yachts and small consciences.

So of course Sepp Blatter is the perfect man to sit atop this weird Ruritanian empire. FIFA's president is the archetypal Great Leader who long ago became lost in his own delusions. The world is laughing at him but he thinks they're laughing with him. They are pouring scorn on his head and he thinks it's acclaim. They are drowning him in their contempt and he thinks it's a warm bath of gratitude.

The Ballon d'Or ceremony was broadcast live on Sky Sports. The room had all the atmosphere of some mausoleum to old communist henchmen. The ceremony was frigid with control and conformity. All human spontaneity had been hollowed out. Where the Golden Globes bristled with wit and mischief and risqué comedy, the Ballon d'Or was sanitised and stultified into a moribund charade.

It was a football ceremony that managed to hang a sort of totalitarian pall over its proceedings. There was the one token grassroots fan in the audience who'd been granted permission to ask a question: an amateur PR gesture, the token nod to democracy.

Then there was Blatter's Presidential Award, a personal benediction from the king of Lilliput. He awarded it to a veteran journalist, Hiroshi Kagawa, who has covered 10 World Cups. And having presented it to the Japanese Jimmy Magee, Sepp declared it was timely in light of the Paris atrocities. "Tonight we are all Charlie," declared this walking tribune of transparency and accountability.

Naturally all attempts at humour on the evening were beyond pitiful. Because humour is dangerous. It's hard to tame. A few nervous titters of laughter punctuated the otherwise soporific silence.

And even by the lamentable standards of televised sport, the guest interviews took the cringe factor to a whole new low. Once again grown men and women, superstars of their trade, were treated to sub-infantile questions, which they duly answered with childlike simplicity.

In scenarios like this, Ronaldo and Messi appear to have been machined into blankness by their calling, as if they exist only in one dimension - the football field. At one point the TV broadcast showed them sitting in their seats while a Swiss pop group played a song onstage. It was a lively tune, the lead singer was giving it socks, but the audience responded like a brick wall.

Neither Ronaldo nor Messi moved a muscle. They stared at the musicians as if these were aliens onstage. They looked not so much bored as baffled.

The difference obviously between actors and footballers is that actors pretend to be someone else for a living. But there's no faking it in soccer (except when they're diving). Top sports people exist in the most competitive environment perhaps devised by mankind.

And in this environment Messi and Ronaldo are the best of the best, modern marvels of the sporting universe. They are stretching the limits of what was previously thought possible. But like some sort of flawed Hollywood superheroes, their football powers seem to have taken over their entire being. When they can't express themselves with a ball, they can't - or won't - express themselves at all.

But inside the football bubble, of course, this is all perfectly normal.