30 football pundits nominated for Ballon d'Or of Pundits as full list announced - vote here
· Mirror
From half-time meltdowns to genius tactical epiphanies, the voices on our screens make or break our weekends - so it's time to vote for best football pundit around
Footballing pundits can have us raging at the telly one second and wanting to buy them a pint the next. But when all is said and done, who reigns supreme?
There's nothing worse than tuning in to watch your team, only to learn that ex-player is covering it. We've all been there. A voice like a leaky tap that starts to boil blood as soon as the first word leaves their mouth.
On the flip side, having an esteemed expert who has been there, done that and worn the team's shirt can provide insight like no other and turn the matchday experience for an at-home viewer into a feast for the senses.
So here at Mirror Football, we've decided to decisively find out who is the best pundit in the land. And we need your help.
Voting will work as follows. Our list of 30 hot-take merchants has been separated into five heats. The top three from each heat will progress into the last 16 alongside the top-finishing fourth-place pick. You'll then whittle them down until we crown the winner of the Golden Mic. Right, stop reading and cast your vote. Their fate is in your hands.
There was sure to be some obvious frontrunners. Wayne Rooney wowed at the World Cup for the BBC and we're not talking about his glow-up. He delivered top-tier analysis with the same deadpan honesty as his legendary old tweets.
Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher are both Sky Sports stalwarts and are as divisive as they come. Then there's the TNT Sports crew, headed by AC/DC fanatic Ally McCoist and Rio 'Ballon d'Or' Ferdinand himself. We also couldn't leave Gary Lineker off the list, that'd be like grabbing a meal deal without the crisps.
So far, with the Round of 16 looming, clear favourites have emerged. The no-nonsense Roy Keane leads all voting with 58 per cent in Heat 1—but that's his job, isn't it? Ian Wright follows closely with 51 per cent in Heat 4, whilst McCoist commands an identical 51 per cent in Heat 5.
Heat 2 is a cagey affair between the CBS Sports trio of Carragher, Thierry Henry, and Micah Richards—with Big Meeks leading by 31 votes. Meanwhile, two England legends are neck and neck in Heat 3, with Rooney edging Alan Shearer by a slender three votes.
Why leave all the glamour to the tuxedo brigade sipping champagne on the Ballon d'Or red carpet? Stuff the golden balls and rehearsed speeches. We're swapping black-tie vanity for half-time chaos, celebrating the loud, relentless, and occasionally unhinged voices that actually soundtrack our weekends. Have your say now.
The 30 pundits nominated for the Ballon d'Or of Pundits
- Gary Neville - Roy Keane - Jamie Carragher - Thierry Henry - Micah Richards - Daniel Sturridge - Michael Dawson - Jamie Redknapp - Karen Carney - Ally McCoist - Rio Ferdinand - Peter Crouch - Glenn Hoddle - Joleon Lescott - Joe Cole - Gareth Bale - Robbie Savage - Michael Owen - Owen Hargreaves - Lee Dixon - Gary Lineker - Wayne Rooney - Danny Murphy - Ian Wright - Alan Shearer - Joe Hart - Martin Keown - Alex Scott - Dion Dublin - Stephen Warnock