5 current footballers who could have won a Ballon d’Or if it wasn’t for Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo
The Ballon d’Or is given by French news magazine France Football to the best footballer over the course of a calendar year.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the greatest players in the history of football. They have records, performances and individual awards to stake their claim as undisputed GOATS of the game.
Both players have won an incredible number of trophies, awards, medals, and honors that most players can only dream of achieving. They've won multiple league titles and cup trophies, consecutively and consistently, while featuring in sides that have played sumptuous football.
It is truly a golden era of football for sporting enthusiasts to get to see such generational talents exercise their trade in their prime. Watching just one would have been fantastic, but enjoying both simultaneously has enabled fans to witness the beautiful game become even more beautiful.
The frightening volume and consistency that both players have maintained over the years has changed what it means to be an elite player.
Three years ago today, Luka Modric won the Ballon d'Or 🥇
He's the only player that's not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to have won the award since 2007 👏 https://t.co/cMrp6OgVaw
The duo have had amazing exploits at club and country level and have dominated the Ballon d’Or race for over a decade. Despite some awards being debated, the pair have generally stood head and shoulder above the rest of the game. Case in point being the fact that they have won 12 out of the last 13 awards given.
It is, however, unfair to say that no player played at their level or deserved to win a Ballon d'Or. Here is a list of 5 current players who could have won a Ballon d’Or if Messi and Ronaldo didn’t duopolize the award for years:
#5 Antoine Griezmann | Ballon d’Or 2016
The prolific Frenchman may have fallen from grace after his sub-par stint at Camp Nou, but Antoine Griezmann was once the cream of the crop. In 2016, he came in third place in the Ballon d'Or rankings, finishing just behind Lionel Messi and eventual winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
Griezmann at the time admitted that it would be tough to disrupt the duo's hegemony, noting that Ronaldo and Messi had experienced brilliant seasons. Ronaldo snatched the Champions League trophy with Real Madrid and clinched the European Championship with Portugal at the Euros.
As far as Antoine Griezmann’s concerned, the 2016 Ballon d’Or is headed in one direction 🏆 https://t.co/nnhrgiumy4
Griezmann didn't win any major trophies with Atletico Madrid or France that year, having been bested by Ronaldo in two key finals. His goalscoring exploits guided Los Colchoneros to the final of the Champions League and Les Bleus to the final of the Euros. However, it wouldn't be enough to win him the Ballon d'Or. It was a brilliant year for the former Barcelona star, but not good enough to break Ronaldo-Messi's dominance.
#4 Manuel Neuer | Ballon d’Or 2014
The year 2014 was a remarkable one for one of the best goalkeepers in the history of football. Manuel Neuer came third behind Messi and surprise winner Ronaldo.
In Ronaldo's defense, he outscored Messi that year and won the Champions League with Real Madrid as well. However, Neuer's claim to the prestigious award can hardly be ignored.
Having rejuventuated the concept of a sweeper keeper, Neuer took the world by storm in 2014, setting German football alight with his eccentric style of play. It worked wonders as he guided Bayern Munich to win the Bundesliga, while winning the World Cup with Germany.
It is widely believed that if Ronaldo and Messi hadn't had a record-breaking season - with Ronaldo scoring 51 goals - Neuer could have won the award. The Ballon d'Or is usually dominated by attacking players, but Neuer's presence for Bayern Munich and Germany in 2014 would've been rather difficult to ignore.