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The Ballon d'Or was first introduced in 1956. There have been 25 recipients of the award till date and almost all the true greats of the game have won the award. It is a very prestigious award and the eventual winner has always had to face stiff competition before winning.
For the last decade or so, however, the Ballon d’Or has become a two-horse race as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have split the honors since 2008. Both have won the award on five occasions each and it has almost lost its charm to an extent because of the predictable outcome.
It is by no means Messi’s or Ronaldo’s fault and the authenticity of the award cannot be doubted either as the top footballers and coaches cast their votes to decide the winner. The Ballon d'Or is, by all means, the most prestigious and prized footballing award and hence, there have been some occasions when we could make a case for a player other than the winner, who was equally deserving of winning the award.
Let's take a look at three players who should have won this award but could not do so.
#1 Xavi Hernandez
For more than a decade, Xavi remained the engine that used to run the well-oiled machine that is known as FC Barcelona. Xavi might well be the greatest ever player in the position he played.
He was a central midfielder who dictated terms in the midfield and controlled the tempo of the game with his touches and passes. He was the time-and-space expert in the free-flowing passing game of Barcelona which made him the conductor of the orchestra.
He had a terrific 2008-09 season as Barca won the treble and Spain won the European Cup in 2008. He scored a goal in that tournament, too. It would be relevant to mention here that Xavi was equally good for the Spanish national team also.
He scored 10 goals in 54 matches for Barcelona in the 2008-09 season, seven more goals in 53 matches in the 2009-10 season and should probably have won the award in either of those two seasons.
However, he finished 3rd in the final ranking on both occasions. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were voted 1st and 2nd respectively in 2008-09 and Messi and Andres Iniesta were voted 1st and 2nd respectively in 2009-10. Xavi’s contribution could not be quantified always, but he remains an exceptional footballer to the connoisseurs of football.
It has to be mentioned that Xavi’s peak coincided with the rise of the peerless Messi and his Ballon d’Or winning chances suffered as a result. Whatever the reason might have been, Xavi might consider himself unlucky to have missed out on the award.
#2 Andres Iniesta
If Xavi was unlucky to miss the award, Iniesta was not far behind either. Few footballers in the history of the game can match Iniesta in terms of ball-skills and elegance. Moreover, Iniesta provided the creative touch to the Barcelona team with his dribbling and through balls. He was no slouch in terms of scoring goals either.
Iniesta scored 70 goals in his entire senior career, but the most important of them came in the 2010 World Cup final against Holland, as it was the only goal scored in the match. He should probably have won the award in the 2009-10 season as Barcelona won the LaLiga and Spain won the World Cup. However, he was voted 2nd in the final ranking. Messi won the Ballon d'Or that year.
He was even better in the 2011-12 season as he helped Barca win the UEFA Champions League and Spain the European Championship. Iniesta was especially dominant in the final against Italy, which Spain won 4-0, and was adjudged the Man of the Match.
That Spanish team remains one of the finest in the history of the game and Iniesta was quite possibly the brightest jewel in the crown. He also scored 8 goals in 46 matches for Barca in the 2011-12 season, but was voted 3rd in the final Ballon d’Or ranking. Messi again won the Ballon d'Or that year.
#3 Manuel Neuer
Goalkeepers usually do not win such awards, but an exception can be made for special performances and Lev Yashin actually did win the award in 1963. Neuer is often called the sweeper-keeper because of his tendency to come out of the goal to thwart attacks and start moves. He is also a great shot-stopper and dependable in the air. All those qualities make his a complete goalkeeper and an asset to his team.
Neuer was exceptional in two consecutive seasons (2012-13 and 2013-14) and should have won the Ballon d’Or on either occasion. He helped Bayern win the treble in 2012-13 by winning the Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup with them. He again helped the German national team win the World Cup in 2014. Neuer was the stand-out player in the tournament as Germany kept four clean sheets in it.
He should have probably won the Golden Ball award for the World Cup, which, incidentally was won by Messi. Bayern made it to the semifinal of the Champions League in 2013-14 and won the Bundesliga and again, Neuer was exceptional for them. However, he was voted 3rd in the final ranking of Ballon d’Or in 2013-14. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were voted 1st and 2nd respectively.
