Ballon d'Or: Four players who would've won the award in a world without Ronaldo and Messi

#1 Xavi Hernandez (2009)

Barcelona v Club Atletico de Madrid - Spanish Super Cup

Xavi Hernandez finished in third place as teammate Messi won the Ballon d'Or, ahead of him and Ronaldo in 2009.

The diminutive midfielder netted 10 goals for the Catalan giants in the 2008-09 season and while the number seems low, he was responsible for another 30 of Barcelona's goals by acting as an immense creative force in the middle of the park.

The Blaugrana legend was at his peak under the mentorship of Guardiola, who helped the club to the first treble in Spanish football history by winning the Copa del Rey, La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

Xavi played a significant role in Guardiola's new brand of football, with the tactics mostly built upon the technical abilities of the midfielder.

His successes with Barcelona came at the back of European glory with Spain in 2008, where his exploits earned him the UEFA Player of the Tournament award.

It may be mentioned that the Spaniard was also close to winning football's most coveted prize in 2011, when he finished second in the UEFA Player of the Year rankings and third in the Ballon d'Or.