Top 5 players who beat Messi and Ronaldo to major individual awards

2. Neymar Junior

When the Brazilian was signed by Barcelona from Santos in 2013, everybody recognised him as a big prospect. Many people tipped him to take over from the powerful duo and he has, to a great extent, lived up to the expectations that surrounded him.

Neymar became a very influential player in Europe winning various trophies and awards. He is one of the few players who managed to share major awards with the dominant rivals or beat them to it.

First, he beat Lionel Messi to the Puskas Award in 2012 before he later shared the UEFA Champions League Top Scorer award with both the Barcelona and Real Madrid icons, when he scored his 10th goal in the 2015 Champions League final against Juventus.

Neymar also shared the stage with them at the 2015 Ballon d'Or gala by taking the third position.

Beating or sharing awards with the duo is a big achievement for the Brazilian if you realise how much the pair has dominated so far.

About the author

Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

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Edited by Shambhu Ajith