'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABiAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABwgQAAIBBAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDAgAEBREGEgcUgQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgYRAAMAAQQDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwAEBhIhIjFx/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDGXj6wxPLuDX2OyKGL9bIIC22pUokTid9+62E/CKnN9h8ei9uVQZfdFunGO3xJ0Dob1AUpVZtu1b3stGLKsU4g+h5HE6INPNgOy7gn4Bn/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Ever since the Blue Lock anime came out, it has managed to captivate the audience through its enthralling action and philosophical plot that has seen the series' protagonists compete against each other to become the best striker in the world.
While it is a fictional story, it has several references to real-world players, teams, and trophies. However, not every player or team can be directly named in the anime. Thus, the series creators decided to create characters inspired by real-life footballers, leading fans to wonder about the real-life footballer, based on which the fictional Ballon d'Or winner Noel Noa was created.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Blue Lock manga.
Blue Lock's Noel Noa could be based on two real-life footballers
According to Blue Lock, Noel Noa has managed to win the World Cup and the Ballon d'Or over real-life players Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. As such, the fictional striker could not just be based on a single character considering how no other real-life player has been comparable to the aforementioned players till date.
In the majority of their careers, the two players, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, did not play as Ego Jinpachi's ideal number 9 player. As a result, series writer Muneyuki Kaneshiro must have decided to base Noel Noa's character on two players, namely Polish striker Robert Lewandowski and former French midfielder Zinedine Zidane.
Unlike Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Polish striker Robert Lewandowski is an ideal number 9 striker who is efficient and has well-rounded technical skills. Moreover, he was close to beating Messi to become the Ballon d'Or 2020 winner, but the entire award ceremony later got canceled.
As per Blue Lock, Noel Noa plays for Germany's Bastard Munchen, which is inspired by the real-life team FC Bayern Munich from the Bundesliga. Thus, the similarities between Noel Noa and Lewandowski are too apparent as far as the playing style and team are concerned.
However, simply being a world-class number 9 striker hasn't been enough to be termed as the best player in the world, which is why the series creator must have decided to base Noel Noa on Zinedine Zidane as well. As seen in Blue Lock, Noel Noa is a World Cup winner who has also been awarded the prestigious Ballon d'Or award.
The only real-life player that ardent football enthusiasts may remember is the French Ballon d'Or and World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane, the former Real Madrid attacking midfielder.
Moreover, it seems like the creators also chose to use a similar backstory to that of Zidane's for Noel Noa. The former Real Madrid midfielder was known to have grown up in the slums of France, following which he won the FIFA World Cup and the Ballon d'Or. Besides, he was known to be ambidextrous.
Given how Noel Noa was described to have a similar career and features, the similarities between the two are quite evident. Thus, it can be concluded that Noel Noa was based on two real-life players.
