Man, it’s been a while since I got into some football drama, but today’s mess with the Ballon d’Or has got me all fired up. Let me tell you what I did today and why I’m calling it a “robbery.”
So, I started my day like any other, scrolling through football news, and bam! There it was – the supposed leaked list for the 2024 Ballon d’Or. Now, I take these leaks with a grain of salt, but this one was making the rounds big time. Seeing names like Vinicius Jr. and Rodri up there got me thinking about past years, especially after reading that someone said Rodri deserved it.
Remember 2010?
This took me back to 2010, the year Wesley Sneijder was, in my opinion, totally robbed. The guy was a beast, leading his team to a historic treble. I dug up some old articles and forum posts from that time. I even found where Sneijder himself said he felt robbed. He was involved in every trophy, and man, he should be the top 3, right? Messi won it that year, with Iniesta and Xavi right behind him. I mean, nothing against those three, they’re legends, but Sneijder’s achievements were just overlooked.
I spent a good chunk of my afternoon reading fan reactions, both from back then and from today. Reading those really makes me upset. It’s crazy how much people still feel the sting of that decision. And it’s not just Sneijder, you know? I also stumbled upon a lot of talk about Lewandowski deserving it in 2020 or 2021.
Then there’s the whole Vinicius Jr. situation this year. People are saying he lost out because of some criteria about “decisive character” and team performance. I checked out the official criteria, just to be sure, and honestly, it’s all so subjective. Also, I read from somewhere that Real Madrid is boycotting or something. And the football world is mad about it, calling it a scandal.
My Deep Dive into Past “Robberies”
This whole thing sent me down a rabbit hole. I started looking up other instances where people felt the Ballon d’Or was wrongly awarded. I compiled a list of what many consider the biggest “robberies” in the award’s history. I watched old match highlights, read player stats, and even checked out some old interviews.
- Wesley Sneijder (2010) – Like I said, treble winner, instrumental in his team’s success, not even in the top three.
- Robert Lewandowski (2020/2021) – The man was a goal-scoring machine, breaking records left and right. Many feel he was denied his rightful award.
- Someone said there is another one, but I forgot.
I ended up spending my entire evening on this. I shared my findings on a couple of football forums and even had a few heated debates with other fans. It’s clear that the Ballon d’Or, while prestigious, is also a huge source of controversy.
At the end of the day, what I realized is that these awards are always going to be debated. There’s no perfect system, and everyone has their own opinions. But for me, some of these decisions, like Sneijder’s in 2010, just don’t sit right. It feels like a genuine “robbery” of a player’s hard work and achievements. And that’s what I wanted to share with you all today.
