British esports analyst Thorin compared the football award ‘Golden Ball’ to the annual HLTV Top 20 ranking of the best CS players. Shields emphasized the subjective nature of such prestigious individual awards.

Thorin pointed out that the Golden Ball is not an objective award from a higher authority, but a prize given by a French magazine. He drew a parallel to the HLTV Top 20 in CS, noting that both have status but allow individuals to decide who was the best player of the year.

Shields urged fans not to treat these rankings as absolute truth. He highlighted that while these awards carry weight, they are ultimately based on the opinions of specific groups rather than objective measures.

“People seem to forget that the ‘Golden Ball’ is not an award from God to the best player. It is a prize given by a French magazine, and it is similar to the HLTV Top 20 in CS. It has status, but you can decide for yourself who was the best player of the year,” Thorin said.