Monday, November 29, in the evening, France Football awarded the 65th Ballon d’Or to Lionel Messi in front of Robert Lewandowski, during a ceremony which took place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. After a canceled 2020 edition, the debates around the result this year have unleashed passions. Since 1956, several choices have given rise to discussions and some controversy.
1996: Matthias Sammer, a defensive surprise
A surprise from Germany. In December 1996, the Ballon d’Or was awarded to Borussia Dortmund defender Matthias Sammer. Winner of the Champions League with his club and the Euro with the Mannschaft that year, Sammer has a brilliant record.
#Your opinion Tell me about a player as determined on the pitch as Matthias Sammer
We wish a happy birthday to the Ballon d’Or and European champion 1996 pic.twitter.com/C199zdatDw
– World Cup Qualifying (@ EURO2024FRA) September 5, 2019
But he is rarely the player who makes an impression. Sammer is indeed fading behind individuals like Jürgen Klinsmann, in particular because of his remote position on the pitch. The Ballon d’Or had not been awarded to a defender since Franz Beckenbauer in 1976.
The final result is very tight, since the German is only one point ahead (144 to 143) his runner-up, a certain Ronaldo. The Brazilian also received more votes for first place (16) than Sammer (13).
2003: Pavel Nedved eclipses Thierry Henry
At the end of 2003, the European press had only one name in its mouth when it came time to designate its favorite to receive the supreme individual award: Thierry Henry. The Frenchman comes out of a sparkling year with Arsenal and the France team. In 68 games, he scored 49 goals and delivered 29 assists.
But on December 21, the day of the ceremony, the Ballon d’Or is awarded to Pavel Nedved. The first Czech player to win the trophy, the attacking midfielder won the Scudetto and reached the Champions League final with Juventus. With 190 points, he is well ahead of the French, who came second (128 points).
2006: Fabio Cannavaro above the fray
At the end of 2006, several names circulated for the attribution of the Ballon d’Or. From Zinedine Zidane, who brought France to the World Cup, to Thierry Henry, unhappy finalist of the C1 and the World Cup, through Samuel Eto’o, who won the Champions League with Barcelona, the contenders are numerous .
/2021/11/26/phpwWn4RZ.jpg)
So, when the trophy was awarded to Fabio Cannavaro on November 27, 2006, it was surprise that dominated. The Italian defender, captain of the world champion Squadra Azzurra, collects 173 points. For observers, if there was an Italian to be crowned, the choice should have fallen on Gianluigi Buffon, precious last bulwark of the transalpines to reach the coronation.
2010: Lionel Messi ahead of Andrés Iniesta
In 2010, Fifa recovers the award of the trophy, which it merges with the title of “Fifa best footballer of the year”. The jury is also enlarged, to welcome the coaches and captains of the member countries of the organization. This first “new look” award goes to Argentinian Lionel Messi, with 22.65% of the vote.
0 – None of the last 3 Ballon d’Or winners during a World Cup year has been a winner of the competition:
Luka Modric in 2018
Cristiano Ronaldo in 2014
Lionel Messi in 2010
Weird. pic.twitter.com/Sg360BNP6e
– OptaJean (@OptaJean) December 3, 2018
But protests are immediately heard among the supporters. According to them, Andrés Iniesta, who won the same titles as Lionel Messi in club, and the World Cup in addition, by scoring the decisive goal in the final, should have been the big winner of the award. They also highlight the performances of Wesley Sneijder, winner of the Champions League with Inter and finalist of the South African World Cup.
2013: Cristiano Ronaldo and the disappointment Franck Ribéry
In 2013, the controversies started even before the start of the ceremony. In November, Fifa postpones the closing date for votes by two weeks, arguing that the number of votes received at the first deadline was insufficient to be representative. The additional delay raises a strong protest, especially as the jurors who have already sent their vote have the opportunity to change it.
On December 9, Fifa unveils the identity of the three finalists. Lionel Messi and Franck Ribéry accompany the Portuguese. The Frenchman won an impressive treble in the German Championship-Cup-Champions League with Bayern Munich. But he is overtaken by his two co-finalists, collecting “only” 23.36% of the vote, against 24.72% for Messi and 27.99% for Ronaldo, who leaves with the trophy.
2021: Leo Messi and others
Favorite in 2020 when the edition of the Ballon d’Or had been canceled due to the health crisis, Robert Lewandowski sees the trophy slip away under his nose in 2021. Leo Messi, already six-time Ballon d’Or, was preferred to him by the jury of 180 journalists from around the world. Still, the Argentine has had a mixed season, with a disappointing third place in La Liga and a Copa del Rey to save Barca from the white season. With PSG, his performance is not as important as expected, especially in Ligue 1, where he only scored his first goal on the fourteenth day of the championship.
But if Lewandowski scored 53 goals in 42 games over the calendar year in 2021, in all competitions, the Pole is missing a trophy with his selection, which finished last in his group at the Euro. On the contrary, Leo Messi won his first Copa America last summer, after losing three finals. He was also named the competition’s best player, which must have weighed in on the jury’s votes.
Another continental champion, Jorginho, could also have been awarded the Ballon d’Or. The Italian has won the two most prestigious trophies contested this season in Europe: the Champions League and the Euro. He was also elected “Player of the Year by UEFA” but his record did not appeal to voters.