"Who won it, Messi?" - Jose Mourinho gives honest answer when quizzed if Lionel Messi robbed Ballon d'Or from Wesley Sneijder in 2010
Former Chelsea and Roma manager Jose Mourinho was recently asked to give his take on whether Lionel Messi robbed Wesley Sneijder of the Ballon d'Or award in 2010. In his reply, Mourinho said that while Messi deservingly won the award that year, Sneijder at least deserved to finish in the top three.
Jose Mourinho was Inter Milan's manager when Wesley Sneijder was running riot in the center of the pitch back in 2010. They guided the Nerrazzuri to an incredible treble of the Champions League, the Serie A and the Italian Cup.
The midfielder also had an impressive campaign with the Netherlands at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He helped his country reach the final of the tournament, where they lost to Spain.
Sneijder's amazing performances and achievements that year made him one of the favorites for the Ballon d'Or. However, the Dutchman finished fourth in the final rankings while Lionel Messi picked up the accolade.
The outcome received mixed reception, with some people insisting that the award should've gone to the Dutchman instead of Lionel Messi. It has remained a subject of debate ever since.
Speaking on FIVE, Mourinho denied any robbery in the 2010 Ballon d'Or award. He said that any award Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo win is deserved, but added that Wesley Sneijder deserved to finish higher in the rankings.
"I don't like to say robbed," Mourinho said. "Who won it, Messi? So not robbed."
"But Wesley did the treble, Champions League winner, I think World Cup final the same season. So Wesley should be there at least in the top three, but when, in the last generation, Cristiano [Ronaldo] and Messi, they win the Ballon d'Or, it is never robbed," the Portuguese added.
The final ranking of the 2010 Ballon d'Or award saw Barcelona icons Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez joining Messi in top three. Sneidjer finished in the fourth spot while ex-Atletico Madrid and Uruguay star Diego Forlan completed the top five.
Does Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Or dominance make him football's greatest?
Lionel Messi became the first and only footballer in history to win eight Ballon d'Or awards when he pipped Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland to claim the prestigious accolade last year. But does that make him football's greatest?
For many, it is enough to crown him as the greatest ever in the sport. Winning the World Cup has made the argument of him being football's GOAT even stronger. Most objective rankings will likely project Messi as the greatest.
However, there are people who consider other players as the greatest, regardless of the outcome of the World Cup or Ballon d'Or. Interestingly, Lionel Messi isn't obsessed with being called the GOAT and he has always played down such talks in interviews.