Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have set an unprecedented bar for footballing success. Never in history have two players been so far above the competition, yet so close to each other in terms of technical and physical ability. No matter what side of the fence you come down on, you have to agree that both are generational talents that have provided over 2 decades of sensational football and have a shared 11 Ballon d'Or trophies to prove it. However, over the last decade, many other players have displayed superhuman talent throughout their own seasons and were more than worthy of a Ballon d'Or for themselves, but due to the might of Messi and Ronaldo, they were never recognized. So, in the spirit of setting the record straight, here is how the last decades' Ballon d'Or trophies should have ended up:
2010 - Wesley Sneijder (Actual Winner - Messi)
As probably the least well-known player on this list, Wesley Sneijder was still well and truly robbed of the 2010 Ballon d'Or award. As an integral part of the famous Inter Milan treble squad who surpassed all odds to capture the club's first and only treble, winning Serie A, Coppa Italia, and the Champions League in the same year. He was also a structural vitality in the Dutch national squad and their campaign in the 2010 World Cup, marching all the way through to the final but unfortunately falling at the final hurdle to an unbeatable Spanish side. Although Messi and Ronaldo's stats may outshine those produced by Sneijder over a decade, no one can question the Dutchmans dominance and success both for club and country during the 2010 season.
2011 - Xavi (Actual Winner - Messi)
Alongside Andres Iniesta, Xavi served as the living heartbeat in the midfield of Barcelona's 2011 squad. Captaining the side to a memorable double, winning both La Liga and the Champions League in convincible fashion. Xavi provided 5 goals and 15 assists in 50 appearances through all competitions, which I admit are not numbers that jump off the page, but it is highly doubtful that without this midfield maestro, Barcelona would have not been the same.
2012 - Lionel Messi (Actual Winner - Messi)
2012, is a year that will forever be marked in the hearts and minds of football fans all over the world. In just 69 appearances, Messi's ability started to question concepts of reality, and scored 91 goals in a calendar year, 79 with Barcelona and 12 with Argentina. Now, this may have not been Barcelona's most successful year as a club, but this monumental record is one that cannot go unnoticed, and in this instance, Messi is more than deserving of capturing his 4th Ballon d'Or.
2013 - Franck Ribery (Actual Winner - Ronaldo)
In 2013, Bayern Munich dominated world football, winning 5 major trophies. At the very centre of this success stood Franck Ribery. Described as "unplayable" but his teammates and managers, Ribery flourished and was crowned UEFA's Best Player in Europe in a truly remarkable season for the Frenchman. However, in the stat-laden world of 2013, Ribery was cast aside and his pivotal role within the Bayern Munich machine went unnoticed due to him not performing in the statistic columns, despite scoring 14 goals and creating over 149 chances in 52 appearances.
2014 - Manuel Neuer (Actual Winner - Ronaldo)
World Cup victories are a big deal when it comes to Ballon d'Or votes and with Germany's dominance on full display in the 2014 World Cup, Manuel Neuer was a name that started to appear on voting ballots. Voted as UEFA's Goalkeeper of the Year and the FIFA World Cup's Goalkeeper of Tournament, there is nothing more Manuel Neuer really could have done in order to become the Ballon d'Or's 58th recipient. He revolutionized the goalkeeper position with his "sweeper-keeper" style being the main thorn in attacking opposition sides and with 7 clean sheets in 16 games, he placed his name among the best to ever stand on the German goal-line.
2015 - Neymar (Actual Winner - Messi)
As a part of the famous MSN strike force, Neymar truly put the world on notice and produced a Ballon d'Or worthy season with Barcelona. Scoring 31 goals and distributing 25 assists in all competitions, Neymar was an indispensable force in the capture of Barcelona's 2nd treble (La Liga, Copa del Ray, and Champions League. However, when you're under the same roof, any sort of recognition is going to be hard to come by and is probably the main reason behind Neymar's Ballon d'Or defeat.
2016 - Antoine Griezmann (Actual Winner - Ronaldo)
Despite France's shortcomings on home soil in the 2016 Euro's, Anthoine Griezmann still showed signs of greatness for both club and country. He won Golden Boot honors for the 2016 Euro's, scoring 6 goals in total (twice as many as any other player in the tournament) and achieved his best goal tally for Athletico Madrid in their La Liga campaign, scoring 32 goals in all competitions. This may have been a year of second best's for Athletico, but for Griezmann it was the best showcase of his talents so far.
2017 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Actual Winner - Ronaldo)
In terms of convincing Ballon d'Or wins, Ronaldo might have just captured the title in 2017, leading the way with a 42 goal year in Real Madrid's most historic and successful season ever. Ronaldo pushed Madrid to 5 titles including La Liga, Spanish Supercup, Champions League, European Supercup, and the Club World Cup. It is a season that will forever be raved over in the Spanish capital and is one Ballon d'Or that Ronaldo is truly deserving of.
2018 - Luka Modric (Actual Winner - Luka Modric)
Continuing the trend of deserved Ballon d'Or winners, Luka Modric distinguished himself as one of the best midfielders in the world in 2018. It was a greatly successful season for the Croatian who steered his national team to an appearance in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final and proved instrumental in Real Madrid's 3rd consecutive capture of the Champions League Trophy. Although the 2018 Ballon d'Or was shrouded in controversy, with Messi being voted just the 5th best player in the world, it was also the year that Modric proved that a Ballon d'Or can be won by working outside the stat columns.
2019 - Virgil Van Dijk (Actual Winner - Messi)
In the most tightly contested Ballon d'Or race to date, Van Dijk narrowly missed out on the award despite his personal and team success throughout 2019. The colossal center back led Liverpool to their first Champions League trophy since 2005 and then further to victories in both the European Super Cup and Club World Cup. He also won the individual honors of being named 2019 UEFA Defender of the Year and UEFA Best Player in Europe. It was an almost perfect year for the Dutchman, narrowly missing out on a Premier League title to rivals Manchester City, but should have also been the year he lifted the 2019 Ballon d'Or trophy as well.
2020 - Robert Lewandowski (No Event)
Due to the emergence of Covid-19, there was no Ballon d'Or voting in 2020, but then again was there really a need for it? Robert Lewandowski acted as judge, jury, and executioner in Bayern's capture of their 2nd European treble. He scored 55 goals in just 47 appearances across all competitions in 2020 and looked to be an overwhelming obstacle for all European back lines. There may not be a Ballon d'Or in Lewandowski's trophy cabinet, but even Messi and Ronaldo must know, this year's trophy would have been in the hands of this Polish goalscoring assassin.
No British players close ?
ReplyDeleteHarry Kane 😂
Nice work , enjoyed it !