Ranked! The ten greatest Ballon d’Or robberies EVER

October 29, 2024

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Oh Vini, Vini, Vini. Robbed of the Ballon d’Or? You ain’t seen nothing but.

The Ballon d’Or is meant to be essentially the most prestigious particular person prize within the sport, crowning a season of glory for one fortunate famous person that the world deems to be the present finest on the earth. As a substitute, its winners are derided by half the web for not being the individual that they needed 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, as a result 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 largest robberies? And who’re merely complaining over nothing?

10. Gianluigi Buffon ought to have gained over Fabio Cannavaro in 2006

Gianluigi Buffon

Gianluigi Buffon was in very good type in 2006 (Picture credit score: Getty)

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 largest 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 might 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 way more influential for the Azzurri and in addition gained a title with the red-faced Juve.

The distinction? The keeper stayed with the Outdated Woman by their relegation, making it a troublesome selection for voters to plump for a second-tier participant as the perfect on the earth. The extent that Buffon performed at that 12 months 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 gained over Luis Suarez in 1960

Ferenc Puskas

He by no means gained a Puskas award both (Picture credit score: PA)

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 famous person of the time, Luis Suarez (not that one) was given the 1960 Ballon d’Or after profitable La Liga… but the Catalans had actually gained the league on their head-to-head document within the Clasico. Ferenc Puskas, in the meantime, can really feel slightly aggrieved that he’d been the higher participant, merely on the dropping aspect throughout two league video games.

Puskas struck a merely bonkers 47 objectives in 36 appearances within the 1959/60 season and scored 4 objectives (4, that is insane) within the European Cup closing 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 gained over Michael Owen in 2001

Oliver Kahn in the 2002 World Cup final

Oliver Kahn within the 2002 World Cup closing (Picture credit score: Bongarts/Getty Photos)

Let’s hold this balanced – at the least as a lot as we will. Michael Owen’s 2001 Ballon d’Or is likely one of the most derided award leads to the historical past of soccer for various causes: the younger England striker wasn’t even enjoying Champions League soccer that season, didn’t win a league title and solely scored 16 league objectives 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 finest participant. That justifies his title considerably – however the place the controversy comes is that some say he by no means had the flexibility to be topped the perfect participant on Earth.

Raul and Oliver Kahn each had a declare to that. The previous gained La Liga, the latter the Champions League; each have been influential for his or her sides however not standout circumstances for the award. Relying on how irate you’re that Owen obtained the gong, both would have been a sensible choice.

7. Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah or Antoine Griezmann ought to have gained over Luka Modric in 2018

Atletico Madrid's French striker Antoine Griezmann celebrates after scoring their first goal during the UEFA Europa League first leg semi-final football match between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium in London on April 26, 2018. - The game finished 1-1.

Antoine Griezmann had a exceptional 2018 (Picture credit score: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP by way of Getty Photos)

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.

Positive, 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 aspect of that 12 months, and main Croatia to a World Cup closing. However was he the perfect 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 12 months that Cristiano Ronaldo scored 44 objectives 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 objectives in simply 36 video games, taking an unfancied Liverpool to a Champions League closing. Each have been worthier winners – however it felt just like the BDO voters had merely had sufficient of Messi and CR7 profitable.

Maybe the largest sufferer, in the meantime, was Antoine Griezmann. The fulcrum of France’s second World Cup-winning aspect and the guts 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 gained over Lionel Messi in 2019

Virgil van Dijk

Virgil van Dijk was the perfect defender on Earth for a short while (Picture credit score: Getty)

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 the perfect centre-back on the earth at that time.

A Champions League title was his clear standout achievement (had he gained the inaugural Nations League closing that 12 months, it could have helped, too), whereas Liverpool headed into 2019/20 like a freight practice. If that is an award for essentially 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 nice 12 months 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. Absolutely Messi had sufficient Golden Balls in his cupboard by now!?

5. Franck Ribery ought to have gained over Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013

Franck Ribery

Franck Ribery was missed in 2013 (Picture credit score: Getty)

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 palms 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 through 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 12 months later?

Nichts, that is what. 2013 would have been the right time to honour Bayern’s famous person of the Treble-winning aspect, 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 gained over Lionel Messi in 2023

Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates their sides fifth goal and their hat trick during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Etihad Stadium on October 02, 2022 in Manchester, England.

Haaland obtained nothing for profitable a Treble (Picture credit score: Michael Regan/Getty Photos)

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 isn’t any query that Messi was irrepressible in Qatar and that it made a incredible story to cap off his profession with an eighth trophy, which can absolutely by no means be overwhelmed. However… once more? Erling Haaland scored a document haul within the hardest league on Earth, main Manchester Metropolis to a Treble. Should you actually consider the Ballon d’Or ought to go to the perfect participant on Earth, Haaland was the perfect participant on Earth, absolutely… 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 gained over Lionel Messi in 2010

Wesley Sneijder

Wesley Sneijder’s 2010 remains to be reminisced about right now: is Messi’s? (Picture credit score: Getty)

Nonetheless to at the present time, Wesley Sneijder’s 2010 is the stuff of legends. Have been it not for an outstretched leg from Iker Casillas within the World Cup closing, 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 aspect – assuming in fact Jose wasn’t the poster-boy himself – however whereas a World Cup closing loss didn’t matter when it got here to Luka Modric profitable the 2018 award, it counted towards the Dutchman. The rostrum that 12 months belonged to La Masia, with Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi standing proud, topped the three finest gamers on Earth.

Sure, Leo had an unbelievable 12 months statistically. However Sneijder should have felt slightly aggrieved that trio… particularly when he’d gained a Champions League on the expense of all three of them and Messi hadn’t overwhelmed him within the World Cup closing. It nonetheless rankles for some followers.

2. Thierry Henry ought to have gained over both Pavel Nedved Andriy Shevchenko in 2003 or 2004

LONDON - OCTOBER 18: Thierry Henry of Arsenal celebrates scoring the second goal for Arsenal during the FA Barclaycard Premiership match between Arsenal and Chelsea on October 18, 2003 at Highbury in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Thierry Henry was a pressure of nature within the early noughties (Picture credit score: Getty Photos)

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 12 months. However frankly, how he’d by no means gained one sooner is likely one of the greatest 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 document) and 30 objectives 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 gained the BDO. It’s merely a matter of opinion as as to if 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

Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski was unstoppable for Bayern throughout lockdown (Picture credit score: Getty)

2021 wasn’t precisely a classic 12 months for Lionel Messi: a single Copa Del Rey to indicate for his closing 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 missed, contemplating he scored 41 Bundesliga objectives that season in one other beautiful Bayern marketing campaign, beating the long-held document 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.

Positive, he ought to’ve gained in 2021 towards Messi. However for the BDO to be utterly cancelled in 2020 when he was simply essentially 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 the perfect participant on the earth. We recognised you, Rob.

Ranked! The ten greatest Ballon d’Or robberies EVER

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