The Pundits Ballon d'Or has reached the knockout stages, and voting is now open. After five heats whittled down 30 of the country's top pundits, the top three from each heat advanced, along with the best-performing fourth-place finisher. Now, 16 pundits are going head-to-head, with Mirror Football asking fans to help decide the last eight.
Marquee Matchups in the Round of 16
CBS colleagues Jamie Carragher and Thierry Henry face off in what is billed as the popcorn matchup of the round. Michael Owen, the lucky fourth-placed loser, is also in the round of 16. A "Battle of the Garys" sees Gary Neville take on Gary Lineker.
Roy Keane, who topped the heat stage with the most votes overall, is the No. 1 seed and faces Glenn Hoddle. Ally McCoist, the second pick, meets Jamie Redknapp, while Ian Wright takes on Owen.
Casualties and Clashes
The round of 16 marks the end of the road for some notable names. Daniel Sturridge, Joe Hart, Joe Cole, Martin Keown, and Robbie Savage have all been eliminated.
Other matchups include Micah Richards against Rio Ferdinand, Alan Shearer against Peter Crouch, and Wayne Rooney against Danny Murphy. Rooney impressed at the World Cup with his BBC analysis.
Voting and Next Steps
Fans are urged to cast their votes before the quarter-finals are decided. After the last eight are determined, the process will continue to narrow the field to four and beyond.
