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Awarded jointly by FIFA and France Football magazine, Ballon d'Or is one of the oldest and most prestigious individual accolades in the world of football. Luka Modric's Ballon d'Or win in 2018 ended a 10-year-long domination of the sought-after accolade by footballing greats, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The pair have notched up a tally of 11 Ballon D'Or titles, and while that speaks volumes of their tremendous ability, a host of world-class talents have missed out on the Ballon d'Or title over the past decade.
The likes of Robert Lewandowski and Virgil Van Dijk have gracefully accepted defeat in the Ballon d'Or race, but some footballers have publicly thrown a tantrum after failing to win football's highest individual honor. Lionel Messi has been tipped to win his seventh Ballon d'Or title this year, but the Champions League and Euros winner, Jorginho, has stated in an interview,
"If you choose (Ballon d'Or winner) based on titles, well, no-one has won more than me this season."
On that note, let's take a look at the four players who kicked up a fuss after failing to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or award.
#4 Manuel Neuer
The German and Bayern Munich shot-stopper was one of the hottest contenders for the 2014 Ballon d'Or accolade. Manuel Neuer showcased excellent performances in club and international football throughout the course of the 2013-14 footballing calendar. He won the Golden Glove at the 2014 World Cup and the 2013-14 Bundesliga title.
Prior to the 2014 Ballon d'Or award ceremony, Neuer stated he wouldn't win the accolade because "I'm not some guy who poses in his underpants." This was an apparent dig at the 2014 Champions League and Copa Del Rey winner, Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar would go on to win the Ballon d'Or that year with 37.66% of the total votes, while Neuer finished third in the standings with 15.72% of the votes.
In a 2014 interview with the German magazine Kicker, Neuer went on to say,
"I'm a sportsman, not an ambassador for a brand, beyond being Adidas' first goalkeeper. I don't like the red carpet. I prefer the green turf. I feel better on the pitch trying to be the best I can be."
The German shot-stopper also emphasized the fact that goalkeepers and defenders are often overlooked for individual accolades. Neuer said,
"After the games, the main things they show are goals, the chances, the assists. Spectators don't tend to remember that the keeper stopped difficult balls by taking a big risk or organised the play from the back."
Lev Yashin, often referred to as the "Black Spider," was the last goalkeeper to have won the Ballon d'Or 58 years ago in 1963.
#3 Wesley Sneijder
Former Bayern Munich and Dutch superstar Wesley Sneijder was among the big names to miss out on the prestigious Ballon d'Or accolade due to Messi-Ronaldo's domination of modern football.
Sneijder's best finish in the Ballon d'Or race was fourth place in the 2010 award ceremony, where he finished behind Messi, Ronaldo, and Xavi. The Dutchman enjoyed one of his best seasons in professional football with club and country in 2009-10, winning the Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia with Inter Milan. Sneijder was also a mainstay in the Netherlands' side, scoring five goals in their magical run to the 2014 World Cup finals.
Often regarded as one of the finest playmakers in modern football, Sneijder said in a recent interview,
"If I would have lived 100% for my sport, I would have joined the list of Cristiano & Messi. I know that. But I didn't want to, and I don't regret that. It's not like I couldn't do it, I just didn't want to. If you look at Cristiano, he will stand behind the ball 30 times and won't score 1. Then I think to myself, how?"
In a later interview, Sneijder also alluded to his somewhat indulgent lifestyle.
"I enjoyed my life, maybe I had a glass [of wine] at dinner. Leo and Cristiano are different, they have made many sacrifices."
#2 Franck Ribery
According to many pundits and fans in the footballing world, Franck Ribery was robbed of the 2013 Ballon d'Or, despite exceptional displays for Bayern Munich in the 2012-13 season.
The Frenchman played a crucial role in Bayern Munich's quadruple trophy haul in 2013. He won the UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga, FIFA Club World Cup, German Cup, and UEFA Super Cup. Ribery notched up 22 goals and 18 assists that season, but much like his teammate Manuel Neuer, the Bayern Munich forward finished third behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The Portuguese forward won the prestigious award with a tally of 66 goals from 56 appearances, but had no trophies to show for his efforts.
In an interview with TZ newspaper following the award ceremony, Ribery stated,
"I won everything, with the team and individually. Ronaldo won nothing. I feel I had earned this award. It's all politics. The Ballon d'Or doesn't interest me any more."
In a 2014 interview with Goal.com, the former Fiorentina forward further added,
"I saw how Sepp Blatter was hugging Ronaldo and how his entire family was there. I'm not stupid. It was clear that he had to win it. He wouldn't have brought his entire family with him otherwise."
Five years on, Ribery reaffirmed his disappointment at losing out on the Ballon d'Or accolade in an interview with Canal+. He said,
"It was as if it was stolen from me. It's incomprehensible. I won every trophy, I couldn't have done more. It was an injustice."
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
As confirmed by former Juventus boss, Massimiliano Allegri, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was fuming after being overlooked for the 2018 UEFA Best Player of the Year award.
Allegri said in a post-match conference,
"Yesterday he (Ronaldo) was very angry, and it's only normal. He scored 15 goals in the Champions League and won the trophy with his teammates. The attitude of Ronaldo shows how much he continues to strive and work to still be the best. This is an advantage for us."
Luka Modric was also awarded the Ballon d'Or that year, following which Cristiano Ronaldo told Italian media,
"Of course I'm disappointed. On the pitch I've done everything to win the Ballon d'Or, numbers do not lie. Congratulations to Modric, who has earned the award, but next year we will meet again and I will do everything to win the prize again."
After winning the 2018 Ballon d'Or, Modric dedicated the trophy to all the modern greats denied by two of the greatest-ever footballers. The Croatian said,
"Maybe in the past there are some players who could have won the Ballon d'Or like Xavi, Andres Iniesta or Sneijder but people finally now are looking at someone else."
