- The Ballon d’Or has always been football’s most prestigious individual prize, but its history is filled with controversy
- Over the years, several stars have been overlooked despite delivering seasons that many felt made them the best in the world
- These missed opportunities have left lasting debates and remain some of the biggest talking points in football history
The Ballon d’Or is football’s most prestigious individual honour, yet it hasn’t always gone to the undisputed best player in the world.
In theory, the award recognises the standout performer over the previous season, but in reality, it’s rarely that simple.
Source: Getty Images
From the era of Ronaldo and Messi’s dominance to surprise winners, the title of “world’s best” hasn’t always matched the trophy’s recipient.
With that in mind, YEN.com.gh takes a closer look at eight players who, in our view, were unfairly denied the Ballon d’Or.
8. Oliver Kahn or Raúl over Michael Owen in 2001
Michael Owen’s triumph in 2001 remains one of the most debated Ballon d’Or results. To his credit, he was Liverpool’s talisman, leading them to a unique cup treble that year.
Yet Owen managed only 16 league goals, failed to win the Premier League, and didn’t even feature in the Champions League.
Meanwhile, Raúl spearheaded Real Madrid to the La Liga title and Oliver Kahn inspired Bayern Munich to Champions League glory.
Both had stronger cases as the world’s best. Owen’s win was more about narrative and promise than undisputed excellence, leaving many to argue that he wasn’t truly the planet’s top footballer.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo over Luka Modrić in 2018
When Luka Modrić broke the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly in 2018, the football world celebrated.
A midfielder finally claimed the prize, rewarded for guiding Croatia to a World Cup final and helping Real Madrid to another Champions League.
But was he really the best player in the world?
Cristiano Ronaldo had scored 44 goals in 44 games that year, winning a third consecutive Champions League title.
Mohamed Salah smashed records in England, netting 32 league goals in his debut Liverpool season and firing the Reds to the Champions League final.
Antoine Griezmann, central to France’s World Cup win and Atlético Madrid’s Europa League triumph, also had a case.
Modrić was excellent, but compared to those individual feats, his victory felt like the voters were simply tired of Ronaldo and Messi.
6. Virgil van Dijk over Lionel Messi in 2019
In 2019, Virgil van Dijk had arguably the best year a defender has produced since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006.
Commanding Liverpool’s backline, he won the Champions League and turned his team into an unstoppable force heading into the 2019/20 season. His dominance was undeniable.
Yet the award still went to Lionel Messi, who added another league title with Barcelona but suffered a humiliating Champions League exit.
For many, this was Van Dijk’s moment to break the forward bias of the Ballon d’Or. Instead, voters stuck with tradition, leaving the Dutchman as a near-miss.
5. Franck Ribéry over Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013
Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the 2013 Ballon d’Or after another season of staggering numbers. Yet this was also the year German football exploded onto the global stage.
Bayern Munich won the treble, setting records in the Bundesliga and conquering Europe, while Borussia Dortmund thrilled under Jürgen Klopp.
At the heart of Bayern’s success was Franck Ribéry, their creative engine and wide playmaker.
He produced more assists than both Messi and Ronaldo that season and was the driving force behind Bayern’s dominance.
By the time Germany went on to win the World Cup in 2014, Ribéry’s omission already felt like a missed opportunity to recognise his era-defining brilliance.
4. Erling Haaland over Lionel Messi in 2023
Messi’s eighth Ballon d’Or came in 2023 after his World Cup triumph in Qatar. It was the perfect fairytale ending to his international career, and few begrudged him the honour.
Still, Erling Haaland had just completed one of the most extraordinary debut seasons in English football history.
With 52 goals in all competitions, he powered Manchester City to a historic treble and broke the Premier League’s single-season scoring record.
By sheer dominance, Haaland was the best player in the world that year. Yet Messi’s World Cup magic made the decision inevitable.
3. Wesley Sneijder over Lionel Messi in 2010
Wesley Sneijder’s 2010 campaign remains legendary. He masterminded Inter Milan’s treble under José Mourinho and led the Netherlands to the World Cup final, scoring crucial goals along the way.
Despite these achievements, the podium was filled by Barcelona’s La Masia trio: Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta.
Messi was brilliant, yes, but Sneijder had won the Champions League at their expense and come within inches of a World Cup.
For many, this was the most glaring snub in modern Ballon d’Or history.
2. Thierry Henry over Pavel Nedved in 2003
Few players have been as consistently brilliant without winning a Ballon d’Or as Thierry Henry.
In the early 2000s, he was redefining the Premier League, blending flair with ruthless efficiency.
In 2002/03, he recorded a still-unmatched 20 assists in a single league season, alongside 30 goals the following year during Arsenal’s Invincibles campaign.
Yet in 2003, the award went to Juventus star Pavel Nedvěd. A classy midfielder, yes, but Henry’s influence and numbers were unmatched.
The Frenchman’s lack of a Ballon d’Or remains one of football’s great injustices.
1. Robert Lewandowski over Lionel Messi (2021)
Robert Lewandowski’s Ballon d’Or heartbreak is twofold. In 2020, he was the clear favourite after leading Bayern Munich to a historic sextuple and scoring goals at an astonishing rate.
Yet France Football cancelled the award altogether, robbing him of his rightful crown.
In 2021, he was again overlooked in favour of Lionel Messi, who had just one Copa del Rey to show for his final Barcelona season, albeit alongside a Copa América triumph with Argentina.
Lewandowski, meanwhile, broke Gerd Müller’s long-standing Bundesliga scoring record with 41 goals in a single season.
Messi’s seventh Ballon d’Or added to his legend, but Lewandowski’s omission, especially in 2020—will forever be remembered as a glaring injustice.
Dembele tipped to win Ballon d’or 2025
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that organisers have reportedly informed Ousmane Dembele that he will win this year’s Ballon d’Or, generating lots of buzz online.
While many supporters celebrated, insisting that the Paris Saint-Germain star fully deserves the top honor, others argued in favor of Lamine Yamal.
Source: YEN.com.gh
Source: Yen.com.gh
