Top 5 instances when teammates contested race for Ballon d'Or
The Ballon d'Or has been the talk of the town after Lionel Messi won the Copa America with Argentina. He has been touted as the favorite to win the award while Chelsea's midfield pair Jorginho and N'Golo Kante are also in contention after they won the Champions League with the club and the former also won the Euros with Italy.
Plenty of teammates have contested for the Ballon d'Or
With both Jorginho and N'Golo Kante in line for the 2021 Ballon d'Or, there have been plenty of other teammates in the past who have contested for the award. The likes of Lionel Messi and Barcelona have dominated the Ballon d'Or podium during the early 2010's while the players from the famous AC Milan team of the early 1990's also contested for the award with each other.
But what are the top five instances when teammates have contested each other for the Ballon d'Or? Let's have a look-
#5 Lionel Messi & Neymar Jr- FC Barcelona (2015)
Lionel Messi formed a devastating trident with Neymar and Luis Suarez (famously known as the MSN) that swept Barcelona to a La Liga, Champions League and Copa Del Rey treble in the 2014-15 campaign.
Lionel Messi scored 58 goals and provided 31 assists in 57 games for the club over the season, while his compatriot Neymar registered 39 goals and 10 assists in 51 appearances for Barcelona across the campaign.
Lionel Messi and Neymar's performances earned them a position in the top three nominees for the Ballon d'Or 2015 with Lionel Messi winning his record 5th Ballon d'Or with 41.33% of the votes, while his teammate Neymar finished third behind Ronaldo with 7.86% of the votes.
Lionel Messi and Neymar continued their partnership for two more years before Neymar eventually swapped Barcelona for PSG for a world record €222 million in 2017. Lionel Messi has stayed at Barcelona but is currently out of contract although he is expected to renew before the start of next season.
#4 Marco Van Basten & Ruud Gullit- AC Milan/Netherlands (1988)
Marco Van Basten and Ruud Gullit formed a notable Dutch trio with Frank Rijkaard at AC Milan, which would go on to dominate Italy and Europe during the late 1980's and early 1990's. They formed one of the most dominant sides in club football, winning two European Cups and two Scudetti. It made perfect sense for all three Dutchmen to be in the running for the Ballon d'Or.
While Rijkaard played in defense, both Van Basten and Ruud Gullit formed a deadly partnership upfront for both club and country. Van Basten had the ability to find the net when it mattered the most, while his compatriot Gullit was perhaps one of the best playmakers of his generation. The pair combined their footballing brains to conquer Europe at both club and international level.
While Gullit registered the figures of 13 goals and 11 assists in 39 games, Van Basten had a subdued season, scoring eight goals and providing three assists as he was out through an ankle injury for the majority of the season.
But it was his brilliant performance at the 1988 Euros that helped him win the Ballon d'Or that year ahead of Ruud Gullit. Van Basten scored five goals and provided one assist in the tournament while scoring a mind-blowing volley in the final which is fondly remembered as one of the greatest moments in sporting history, helping the Netherlands win their first ever international trophy.
While Gullit had already won the Ballon d'Or in 1987, Van Basten would go onto lift another one in 1989, following a superb season with Milan. His time in Italy would reward him with three Serie A titles and two Champions League trophies, before his aforementioned ankle issues would sadly force him into early retirement.