Oh Vini, Vini, Vini. Robbed of the Ballon d’Or? You ain’t seen nothing but.
The Ballon d’Or is meant to be probably the most prestigious particular person prize within the sport, crowning a season of glory for one fortunate celebrity that the world deems to be the present greatest on the earth. As an alternative, its winners are derided by half the web for not being the individual that they wished to carry the prize.
The historical past of the Ballon d’Or is affected by a few of the greats of the sport, whereas the likes of Pele and Maradona have been by no means formally recognised, on account of it being a European-only award. Michael Owen was the final English participant to win one, Mattias Sammer has the trophy however Toni Kroos hasn’t, yadda, yadda, yadda. So who actually are the most important robberies? And who’re merely complaining over nothing?
10. Gianluigi Buffon ought to have received over Fabio Cannavaro in 2006
2006 was a troublesome oeuvre for the Ballon d’Or. Essentially the most charming participant on the World Cup planted his head within the chest of an opponent on the most important stage of all and walked down the Olympiastadion tunnel that night time in shame, by no means to play soccer once more.
Juventus’s Calciopoli nightmare, in the meantime, restricted the variety of stars who may feasibly win the BDO from Italy’s triumphant – but considerably uninteresting – squad, because the home scene was tainted regardless of worldwide glory. Fabio Cannavaro led the imply defence and jumped ship to Actual Madrid, making him the prime candidate: however Gigi Buffon was arguably much more influential for the Azzurri and likewise received a title with the red-faced Juve.
The distinction? The keeper stayed with the Previous Girl by way of their relegation, making it a troublesome selection for voters to plump for a second-tier participant as one of the best on the earth. The extent that Buffon performed at that yr begs the query, although: has a goalkeeper ever delivered extra integral performances for membership and nation within the trendy age?
9. Ferenc Puskas ought to have received over Luis Suarez in 1960
Barcelona lifted the 1959/60 Spanish title – and simply as you’d count on lately, their bitter rivals, Actual, bettered them to grab the European Cup (again when they’d flip up for awards).
Barça’s celebrity of the time, Luis Suarez (not that one) was given the 1960 Ballon d’Or after profitable La Liga… but the Catalans had actually received the league on their head-to-head report within the Clasico. Ferenc Puskas, in the meantime, can really feel slightly aggrieved that he’d been the higher participant, merely on the shedding facet throughout two league video games.
Puskas struck a merely bonkers 47 targets in 36 appearances within the 1959/60 season and scored 4 targets (4, that is insane) within the European Cup ultimate towards Eintracht Frankfurt. Not unhealthy for a participant who was winding down, but he completed second to Suarez.
8. Oliver Kahn or Raul ought to have received over Michael Owen in 2001
Let’s maintain this balanced – no less than as a lot as we will. Michael Owen’s 2001 Ballon d’Or is without doubt one of the most derided award ends in the historical past of soccer for quite a lot of causes: the younger England striker wasn’t even taking part in Champions League soccer that season, didn’t win a league title and solely scored 16 league targets all marketing campaign.
Equally, there wasn’t that a lot competitors for the Ballon d’Or. Should you have been voting purely from achievements, Owen accomplished a singular haul with Liverpool and was their greatest participant. That justifies his title considerably – however the place the controversy comes is that some say he by no means had the power to be topped one of the best participant on Earth.
Raul and Oliver Kahn each had a declare to that. The previous received La Liga, the latter the Champions League; each have been influential for his or her sides however not standout instances for the award. Relying on how irate you’re that Owen bought the gong, both would have been a good selection.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah or Antoine Griezmann ought to have received over Luka Modric in 2018
In 2018, the Ronaldo/Messi duopoly within the BDO was lastly ended by a midfielder. It was a win for soccer not being determined by stats – however in FourFourTwo’s opinion… nonetheless not proper.
Certain, Luka Modric was an excellent participant however appeared to get the award by proxy of being a key member of Actual Madrid’s all-conquering facet of that yr, and main Croatia to a World Cup ultimate. However was he one of the best participant on the earth? Few would say so. Some would even name it a travesty that he picked up the gong whereas Toni Kroos, Xavi or Andres Iniesta by no means did.
2018 was the yr that Cristiano Ronaldo scored 44 targets in as many video games en path to a 3rd consecutive Champions League title, whereas Mohamed Salah scored an unprecedented (again then, anyway) 32 Premier League targets in simply 36 video games, taking an unfancied Liverpool to a Champions League ultimate. Each have been worthier winners – but it surely felt just like the BDO voters had merely had sufficient of Messi and CR7 profitable.
Maybe the most important sufferer, in the meantime, was Antoine Griezmann. The fulcrum of France’s second World Cup-winning facet and the center of Atletico Madrid’s Europa League winners, arguably the strongest winners of the competitors ever. Modric had an ideal season, in fact… however has it gone down in historical past?
6. Virgil van Dijk ought to have received over Lionel Messi in 2019
There was by no means a greater alternative for a centre-back to win the Ballon d’Or. Not since Fabio Cannavaro had a defender stood atop of the world – and Virgil van Dijk was so clearly one of the best centre-back on the earth at that time.
A Champions League title was his clear standout achievement (had he received the inaugural Nations League ultimate that yr, it might have helped, too), whereas Liverpool headed into 2019/20 like a freight practice. If that is an award for probably the most excellent footballer on the planet, there merely was no different participant at his stage of dominance. Alas, the voters determined in any other case.
2019 was a effective yr for Messi, scooping one more league title at Barca. However a Champions League exit by the hands of Roma “rising from their ruins” was hardly befitting of a BDO recipient. Certainly Messi had sufficient Golden Balls in his cupboard by now!?
5. Franck Ribery ought to have received over Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013
In 2013, we have been firmly rooted within the age of the statistic. The GOAT axis of Ronaldo and Messi had modified soccer right into a numbers recreation and 2013 noticed Barcelona slip post-Pep Guardiola, with it being Cristiano’s flip to get his fingers on one other award.
But this was the season that Ronaldo and Messi have been each dumped out of the Champions League by Bundesliga opponents as German soccer started to thrive. What does Germany have to indicate for that golden period during which Bayern Munich smashed a whopping 30 information in 2013, Jurgen Klopp’s affect at Borussia Dortmund, and the World Cup coming again to Deutschland a yr later?
Nichts, that is what. 2013 would have been the right time to honour Bayern’s celebrity of the Treble-winning facet, Franck Ribery. Need to make it stat-based? He recorded extra assists than both GOAT in 2012/13. And anyway, his affect couldn’t be measured purely on the web page.
4. Erling Haaland ought to have received over Lionel Messi in 2023
What’s extra spectacular: profitable a Treble or profitable a World Cup? The Ballon d’Or voters went for the latter, and Lionel Messi, in 2023.
Sure, there is not any query that Messi was irrepressible in Qatar and that it made a implausible story to cap off his profession with an eighth trophy, which can certainly by no means be overwhelmed. However… once more? Erling Haaland scored a report haul within the hardest league on Earth, main Manchester Metropolis to a Treble. Should you actually imagine the Ballon d’Or ought to go to one of the best participant on Earth, Haaland was one of the best participant on Earth, certainly… and never a mid-30 playmaker within the MLS?
There was some debate on whether or not Haaland’s recreation was “rounded” sufficient for the award – however let’s face it, this was determined as quickly as Leo lifted the World Cup. If solely Haaland had pledged worldwide allegiance to the nation he was born in…
3. Wesley Sneijder ought to have received over Lionel Messi in 2010
Nonetheless to this present day, Wesley Sneijder’s 2010 is the stuff of legends. Had been it not for an outstretched leg from Iker Casillas within the World Cup ultimate, maybe the playmaker would have accomplished an iconic sweep of 4 trophies.
Sneijder was the gem, the genius and the poster-boy of Jose Mourinho’s Treble-winning Inter Milan facet – assuming in fact Jose wasn’t the poster-boy himself – however whereas a World Cup ultimate loss didn’t matter when it got here to Luka Modric profitable the 2018 award, it counted towards the Dutchman. The rostrum that yr belonged to La Masia, with Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi standing proud, topped the three greatest gamers on Earth.
Sure, Leo had an unbelievable 12 months statistically. However Sneijder will need to have felt slightly aggrieved taking a look at that trio… particularly when he’d received a Champions League on the expense of all three of them and Messi hadn’t overwhelmed him within the World Cup ultimate. It nonetheless rankles for some followers.
2. Thierry Henry ought to have received over both Pavel Nedved Andriy Shevchenko in 2003 or 2004
Thierry Henry misplaced the Champions League and World Cup finals in 2006: had he lifted each, he completely would have given his rightful title of the Ballon d’Or winner of that yr. However frankly, how he’d by no means received one sooner is without doubt one of the largest crimes in noughties soccer.
He was a numbers machine earlier than it assured you the BDO, registering 20 Premier League assists in 2002/03 (nonetheless a report) and 30 targets in an Invincible Arsenal time period a season later.
Each Andriy Shevchenko and Pavel Nedved have been silky and good in Scudetto-winning campaigns at a time the place Italian soccer was king, however neither tasted Champions League glory the season they received the BDO. It’s merely a matter of opinion as as to whether you felt they have been higher individually than Henry…
1. Robert Lewandowski ought to have been given his flowers over Messi in 2021… and in 2020 over NO ONE
2021 wasn’t precisely a classic yr for Lionel Messi: a single Copa Del Rey to indicate for his ultimate Barcelona season earlier than a teary transfer to PSG, the place he struggled in his first season. In fact, a Copa America in between – his first worldwide trophy – made him a shoo-in for the award (regardless of Angel Di Maria arguably being extra integral to that win).
Robert Lewandowski has a proper to really feel slightly neglected, contemplating he scored 41 Bundesliga targets that season in one other beautiful Bayern marketing campaign, beating the long-held report of Gerd Muller, which many thought would by no means be eclipsed. However actually, even now, the poaching Pole’s actual grievance isn’t with Messi in any respect or the voters who denied him. It’s with France Soccer for binning off the award when it was blatantly his and solely his.
Certain, he ought to’ve received in 2021 towards Messi. However for the BDO to be utterly cancelled in 2020 when he was simply probably the most dominant and downright inevitable pressure on the planet, main Bayern to 6 trophies? It was outrageous. Fortunately FourFourTwo held its personal award for one of the best participant on the earth. We recognised you, Rob.
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