{"id":297769,"date":"2023-10-31T21:24:03","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T21:24:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=297769"},"modified":"2023-10-31T21:24:03","modified_gmt":"2023-10-31T21:24:03","slug":"who-would-be-ballon-dor-winners-if-lionel-messi-didnt-exist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/soccer\/who-would-be-ballon-dor-winners-if-lionel-messi-didnt-exist\/","title":{"rendered":"Who would be Ballon d&apos;Or winners if Lionel Messi didn&apos;t exist?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Lionel Messi has been named the world&#8217;s best player EIGHT times, but who would have won the Ballon d&#8217;Or if he didn&#8217;t exist? Mail Sport looks at which stars would bagged the prize<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Lionel Messi has been in the top three in the Ballon d&#8217;Or voting on 14 occasions\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Legendary players have missed out on higher honours because of his greatness<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport&#8217;s podcast &#8216;It&#8217;s All Kicking Off!&#8217;\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Lionel Messi is so intertwined with the Ballon d&#8217;Or&#8217;s history that he is synonymous with it.<\/p>\n<p>Not only has he taken the gong home on a record\u00a0eight occasions, but he has come second in its rankings five times and third once.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Since his first entry in 2007, he has been in the top three 14 out of a possible 16 times.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Through all those years, world football has seen outstanding talents denied honours in the shadow of his brilliance &#8211; and we&#8217;re not just talking about Cristiano Ronaldo.<\/p>\n<p>What would the Ballon d&#8217;Or have looked like without Messi? <span>Mail Sport<\/span> explores the figures who came close to higher honours but were blocked by La Pulga.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/31\/11\/77217683-0-image-a-6_1698752645636.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Lionel Messi once again lifted the Ballon d&#8217;Or after winning the World Cup with Argentina\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n<h2>Winners\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p><span>Cristiano Ronaldo &#8211; 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2015\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Cristiano Ronaldo would have nine Ballon d&#8217;Ors were it not for his great rival.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the years when he came second to Messi, CR7 scored a whopping 200 goals, including a career-best 61 in 2014\/15.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Those seasons saw him win big club honours, as well &#8211; a Premier League title with Manchester United in 2008\/09 and a La Liga title with Real Madrid in 2011\/12.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Champions League is often the kingmaker if there&#8217;s not an international tournament on.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ronaldo won three of his five Ballon d&#8217;Ors on the back of successful Champions League campaigns, while in three of the four years he came second, Messi won Europe&#8217;s most wanted club trophy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/31\/11\/77217781-0-image-a-7_1698752736956.jpg\" height=\"430\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Cristiano Ronaldo came second to Messi on four occasions &#8211; usually domestic honours weren&#8217;t enough to take the gong\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span>Andres Iniesta &#8211; 2010\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>On paper, Andres Iniesta&#8217;s 2009\/10 season was statistically unremarkable. Five goals and one assist while injuries brought his club campaign to an early finish.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But those stats don&#8217;t get anywhere near to showing the majesty of Iniesta, whose range of passing and work ethic stood him alongside Xavi as one of the world&#8217;s best midfielders.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Barcelona won La Liga with 99 points and that summer of 2010 is a special one in football&#8217;s collective memory.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Iniesta was the lynchpin in Spain&#8217;s World Cup-winning midfield and inspired them through close-fought encounters, as La Roja won all of their knockout games 1-0.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The midfielder scored the winning goal in stoppage time against Netherlands to seal World Cup victory and claimed Man of the Match.<\/p>\n<p>His form was so good in 2009\/10 that, years later, magazine France Football apologised for not presenting him with the award that year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/31\/11\/77217849-0-image-a-8_1698752803599.jpg\" height=\"475\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Andres Iniesta scored Spain&#8217;s winner in the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands<\/p>\n<p><span>Virgil van Dijk &#8211; 2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>So indomitable was Virgil van Dijk in 2018\/19 that he was the first defender to be in the Ballon d&#8217;Or top three since Fabio Cannavaro won it in 2006.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That year, he scooped up the UEFA Player of the Season, Premier League Player of the season, PFA Players&#8217; Player of the Season, and a place in the FIFPRO World 11.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Across 50 games, he was the rock that allowed Liverpool to win the Champions League and come second in the English top flight on 97 points.<\/p>\n<p>There was talk about the Dutchman being the best Premier League defender ever and there&#8217;s no denying that his presence, leadership, and reliability transformed Liverpool.<\/p>\n<p>He was also a tidy contributor at the other end, chipping in with six goals across the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately for him, he lost out to the far more fashionable Messi despite helping to dump Barcelona out in the Champions League semi-finals with a roaring 4-0 win at Anfield.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That year, Messi scored 45 goals and won the La Liga title.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/31\/11\/77217879-0-image-a-9_1698752896991.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Virgil van Dijk was the first defender in the top three since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006<\/p>\n<p><span>2021 &#8211; Robert Lewandowski\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Had Messi not won the Copa America in 2021, there&#8217;s an overwhelming feeling that Robert Lewandowski would have a Ballon d&#8217;Or trophy in his cabinet.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He had arguably been robbed in 2020, when no award was handed out because of Covid-19. In 2019\/20, he scored 55 goals to help Bayern Munich win the Treble.<\/p>\n<p>He backed that up with another 48 goals and four trophies in the following season, scoring from all types of positions. He was a joy to watch and looked as if he would be the first out-and-out striker to win the Ballon d&#8217;Or since Andriy Shevchenko in 2004.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It was not to be. Seemingly out of consolation, FIFA created the &#8216;Striker of the Year category&#8217; in 2021 and gave that to Lewandowski. Short of the Ballon d&#8217;Or, at least he could have a new made-up award with no history.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Messi was fantastic that year, scoring 38 goals and winning the Copa America, but for many fans, Lewandowski deserved a victory.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/31\/11\/77217935-0-image-a-10_1698752985364.jpg\" height=\"463\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Should Robert Lewandowski have had two Ballon d&#8217;Ors after scoring 93 goals in two seasons?<\/p>\n<p><span>2023 &#8211; Erling Haaland\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Has there ever been a more complete number nine than Erling Haaland at such a young age?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Pace, power, clincal finishing, impeccable timing, perfect movement. Haaland is relentless.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Fifty-two goals was the haul he brought to Manchester City as they won the Treble and he revolutionised Pep Guardiola&#8217;s system, which had previously operated without a full-on striker.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sure, he didn&#8217;t win the World Cup final like Messi did. The Argentine&#8217;s form in Qatar was magnificent and he was the difference-maker with two goals against France in the final.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, a total of 21 goals, 20 assists, and a Ligue 1 trophy as the only major title under his belt in 2022\/23 begs the question &#8211; was Messi&#8217;s victory this year born out of nostalgia or honest comparison with Haaland?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/31\/11\/77217983-12692861-image-a-12_1698753093279.jpg\" height=\"425\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Erling Haaland won the Treble and scored 52 goals last season. What more could he have done?<\/p>\n<h2>The players denied a higher place on the podium\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>Six players would have come second or third were Messi not around, and some of them are a blast from the past.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span>Fernando Torres &#8211; 2008 (came third)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>There was a time when Fernando Torres was a scintillating striker, even if memories of his time on English shores are sullied by his Chelsea spell.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In 2007\/08, he scored 33 goals for Liverpool and fostered an electric relationship with Steven Gerrard to claim third in the standings behind Ronaldo and Messi.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He also won the Euros with Spain, but it would have been hard for him to dislodge the world&#8217;s very best after no domestic trophies.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span>2013 &#8211; Franck Ribery (came third)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>This was one of the most controversial Ballon d&#8217;Or votes ever, as Ronaldo claimed\u00a027.99 per cent of the vote, Messi 24.72 per cent and Ribery 23.36 per cent.<\/p>\n<p>The silky left-footed Ribery had led Bayern Munich to a Treble and provided the assist for Arjen Robben&#8217;s winner in the Champions League final.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, his 11 goals and 18 assists were not enough to quite seal him the top gong, even if it won his UEFA&#8217;s Player of the Year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/31\/11\/77218053-12692861-image-a-13_1698753218624.jpg\" height=\"398\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Fernando Torres won the 2008 Euros with Spain and scored 33 goals for Liverpool in 2007\/08<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/31\/11\/77218155-12692861-image-m-15_1698753260769.jpg\" height=\"548\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Franck Ribery was integral to Bayern Munich&#8217;s 2013 Treble but lost out in one of the most controversial votes in history<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/31\/11\/77218241-12692861-image-a-18_1698753364993.jpg\" height=\"430\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Manuel Neuer (centre) had one of the best-ever goalkeeping seasons in 2013\/14\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span>2014 &#8211; Manuel Neuer (came third)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Only three goalkeepers this century have been in the top three for the Ballon d&#8217;Or, and after winning the World Cup, Manuel neuer deserved to be among them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The sweeper-keeper won World Goalkeeper of the Year, World Cup Golden Glove, and a German double.<\/p>\n<p>However, his 25 clean sheets and 34 conceded in 51 club appearances weren&#8217;t enough to disrupt the hegemony of Ronaldo and Messi.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<span>2016 &#8211; Antoine Griezmann (came third)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The 2015\/16 season was a brilliant one for Antoine Griezmann as he scored 32 goals and Atletico Madrid accured 88 points in the league&#8230; only to finish third behind Barcelona and Real Madrid.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, it was their usual representatives who ranked higher than the Frenchman that year, but it was his bets goalscoring season.<\/p>\n<p>There was also the small matter of reaching the European Championships final with France, although they lost 1-0 to Portugal via Eder&#8217;s dramatic goal.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/31\/11\/77218243-12692861-image-a-19_1698753426182.jpg\" height=\"411\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Antoine Griezmann helped France win the 2016 Euros but couldn&#8217;t achieve domestic honours with Atletico Madrid<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/31\/11\/77218255-12692861-image-a-20_1698753487341.jpg\" height=\"422\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Neymar enjoyed a stellar final season at Barcelona but never reached the same heights at PSG<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/31\/11\/77218269-12692861-image-m-22_1698753548831.jpg\" height=\"514\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Didier Drogba came fourth in the Ballon d&#8217;Or rankings in 2007 after 33 goals for Chelsea<\/p>\n<p><span>2017 &#8211; Neymar (came third)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>It feels a slight disservice to Neymar&#8217;s potential that he has only ever come in the top three for the Ballon d&#8217;Or on two occasions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In 2017, he reached that rarefied air for a second time after 20 goals and 26 assists in his final season at Barcelona.<\/p>\n<p>From there he went to PSG to become a main man but never kicked on and has been outshined by Kylian Mbappe and&#8230; Messi.<\/p>\n<p><span>2007 &#8211; Didier Drogba (came fourth)<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On his day, Didier Drogba was unplayable, and he happened to have a lot of days this season as he scord 33 goals.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Oddly enough, this was one of the seasons where he didn&#8217;t win the league or Champions League with Chelsea, but he did win England&#8217;s two main domestic cups and Chelsea were in the running for a quadruple until May 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Kaka, Ronaldo, and Messi finished above the Ivory Coast international, but there&#8217;s no denying his influence under Jose Mourinho.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>IT&#8217;S ALL KICKING OFF!\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p><span><span>It&#8217;s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span>It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/football\/article-12692861\/Lionel-Messi-named-worlds-best-player-EIGHT-times-won-Ballon-dOr-didnt-exist-Mail-Sport-looks-stars-bagged-prize.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lionel Messi has been named the world&#8217;s best player EIGHT times, but who would have won the Ballon d&#8217;Or if <span class=\"more-text\">&hellip;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":297768,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Who would be Ballon d&amp;apos;Or winners if Lionel Messi didn&amp;apos;t exist? - Sportstons<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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