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- The Ballon d'Or award has had some highly debatable winners in recent years, including Lionel Messi's recent win in 2023
- A few other candidates have also been 'robbed' of the Golden Ball prize, such as Wesley Sneijder in 2010 and Franck Ribéry in 2013
- Legit.ng spotlights some of the biggest Ballon d'Or 'robberies' in recent times as Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham vie for the prize
The race to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or is heating up, with several candidates emerging as strong contenders for the prestigious prize.
Vinicius Jr. has been the odds-on favourite for the France Football Award, but other names have started to gain traction in the race.
Recently, Argentina's Lautaro Martinez, and Spain's Rodrigo Hernandez, have been highlighted as potential winners, according to a recent ranking.
Source: Getty Images
The duo, who had quite impressive seasons with their respective clubs and crowned their campaigns with respective international titles, are expected to challenge both Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham for the prize.
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However, ahead of the October event, Legit.ng takes a retrospective look at the winners of the award over the years and highlights some of the most controversial and debatable winners of the prestigious prize.
Debatable Ballon d'Or winners
Erling Haaland - 2023
The most recent controversy surrounding the Ballon d'Or occurred in the latest edition won by Lionel Messi.
The Argentine legend secured the prize for an unprecedented eighth time, edging out Erling Haaland for the accolade. Messi, who had a somewhat subdued spell with Paris Saint-Germain before moving on to Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, clinched the award despite strong competition from the Norwegian.
Haaland, who had a spectacular debut season with Manchester City, leading them to a historic treble and breaking numerous records in the Premier League, amassed an impressive 52 goals in 53 games compared to Messi's 21 goals in 41 games, as reported by Fotmob.
The decision to award Messi sparked widespread criticism, and the forward amplified the talks with his absence from the France Football award ceremony.
Robert Lewandowski - 2020
The controversy arose when the awards were cancelled at a crucial moment when Lewandowski seemed destined to claim the prize.
The Polish forward appeared poised for an undisputed victory akin to Karim Benzema's triumph in 2022, during which the former Bayern Munich star stood out as unparalleled.
As reported by Goal, organisers cited the coronavirus pandemic as the rationale, but it was widely believed among football fans that the award was Lewandowski's to lose.
Franck Ribery - 2013
Ribery played a pivotal role in Bayern Munich's treble-winning season under the legendary coach, Jupp Heynckes. The French forward was instrumental as Bayern secured the UEFA Champions League title against Borussia Dortmund.
However, to the surprise of many, Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon d'Or that season, despite the Portuguese star ending the campaign without a trophy.
Ronaldo's superior individual statistics were cited as the reason for his win over Ribery, who didn't even finish as the runner-up in the voting.
Wesley Sneijder - 2010
Another highly debated Ballon d'Or award came under scrutiny in the 2010 edition.
Wesley Sneijder was instrumental in Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan, leading them to a treble victory, which included eliminating Barcelona along the way. Despite Sneijder's pivotal role, the award ultimately went to Lionel Messi, largely due to his remarkable tally of over 60 goals that season.
Inter's treble triumph was complemented by Sneijder's stellar performance in the World Cup, where he was second only to Uruguay's Diego Forlan as the Netherlands reached the final. In contrast, Messi's Argentina exited in the quarter-finals.
Messi snubs Bellingham for 2024 Ballon d'Or
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Messi has opted against mentioning Bellingham when picking his favourites for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award.
The 21-year-old England midfielder, who had a stellar debut season with Real Madrid, is expected to provide stiff competition to whoever is in the running for the prize.
Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius, and many young players can compete for the Ballon d'Or in the coming years according to Messi.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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