10 players who would have won the Ballon d'Or if not for Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
We take a look at the players who would have won the Ballon d'Or had it not been for Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
We're blessed to be living in the same era as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. They are two of the best footballers of all time and have squared off against each other on multiple occasions with their rivalry reaching unforeseen heights as they lined up for Real Madrid and Barcelona - two of the fiercest rival clubs in football.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have, for so long, been on a different level compared to their contemporaries. They enjoyed a duopoly over the Ballon d'Or which is the most prestigious individual prize in football. The two have won 11 of the last 12 Ballon d'Or trophies between them.
Due to their dominance, several world-class players have missed out on the chance to win the Ballon d'Or and today, we take a look at eight players who would have won football's most coveted individual honour if not for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
2008: Fernando Torres
Peak Fernando Torres was an untameable beast who used to give nightmares to even the toughest defenders on the planet. Though his peak did not last for a very long time, Fernando Torres was simply uncontainable for both club and country in 2008.
He played a major hand in Spain's Euro triumph in 2008 and scored the winning goal. He scored 33 goals in 46 appearances for Liverpool as well that season.
2009: Xavi Hernandez
Both Barcelona and Spain used to be unstoppable during this period and it was largely down to the midfield trifecta of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets. Xavi was in the form of his life in 2009. He won the Champions League in 2009 and assisted Messi's goal in the final.
Xavi registered a whopping 31 assists for Barcelona across all competitions in the 2008-09 season, playing from central midfield. He also scored 10 goals.
2010: Andres Iniesta
To this day, people are divided on Lionel Messi ultimately winning the 2010 Ballon d'Or. The common consensus is that Don Andres should have taken it home after scoring the winner in the 2010 World Cup final and generally being the best footballer in the world.
His snub was so controversial that France Football sent him an apology.
2011: Xavi Hernandez
Xavi continued his sublime form as Barcelona and Spain dominated the club and international circuits respectively. Xavi was an integral part of what is arguably the finest football team that has taken to the field in the 21st century in 2011 and they went onto win the UEFA Champions League.