![download.jpeg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmREg3qTrxTKzzFJ6Tzbt6i9xwKGMKgWbkygUzmbuF4pez/download.jpeg) [source](https://images.app.goo.gl/AN3JtdWSfUhR1TYK7) [License details](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/) Hello football lovers, I come your way once again with beautiful news from the football world. I am bringing to you today the possible football players that could have won the world recognize football award if Messi and Ronaldo weren't available. The Ballon d'Or is football's most coveted individual award, and it has been controlled by only two guys for the previous decade: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The duo has won 12 of the previous 13 editions of the award, with Luka Modric - who was awarded in 2018 - being the only player to break the duopoly. The refusal of Messi and Ronaldo to share has resulted in numerous famous players missing out on their particular moment throughout the years. If these two trophy-hoarders didn't exist, here's who would have won the Ballon d'Or. ## Fernando Torres - 2008 - - - - - - - - Fernando Torres was one of the top attackers in the world before being shattered by an ill-fated move to Chelsea. Torres had a very strong year in 2008, scoring for fun for Liverpool and playing a key role in Spain's Euro 2008 victory. - - - - - - ## 2009- Xavi - - - - Xavi's appointment as Barcelona coach by Pep Guardiola in 2008 was one of the nicest things that could have occurred to him. In 2009, the midfielder made a huge step forward, assisting his team to a memorable treble. He was maybe unlucky to finish third in the Ballon d'Or vote behind Ronaldo that year. - - - - - - ## 2010 - Andres Iniesta - - - - - - - Before 2018, this was the closest we got to witnessing the Messi-Ronaldo axis dismantled. Iniesta, who helped Barcelona and Spain win the World Cup in 2010, was only 5% behind La Pulga in the poll. Xavi is the other player on the podium. La Masia has had a good year. - - - - - - ## 2011 - Xavi - - - - - - - Xavi's appointment as Barcelona coach by Pep Guardiola in 2008 was one of the nicest things that could have occurred to him. In 2009, the midfielder made a huge step forward, assisting his team to a memorable treble. He was maybe unlucky to finish third in the Ballon d'Or vote behind Ronaldo that year. - - - - - - ## 2012 - Andres Iniesta - - - - - - - - - Iniesta, it's that dude again. The Spaniard's efforts at Euro 2012 distinguished him from the rest of the field. As Spain won their third major championship in a row, he was named player of the tournament. - - - - - - - ## 2013 - Franck Ribery - - - - - - Spain's supremacy over international football had begun to fade by 2013, as shown by the fact that they finished third in the Ballon d'Or vote. Franck Ribery, the star of Bayern Munich's treble-winning team, received the award. - - - - - - - - ## 2014 - Manuel Neuer - - - - - - - - - - If it hadn't been for Messi and Ronaldo, the 2014 Ballon d'Or may have had a German flavor as well. Manuel Neuer, the world's best sweeper goalie, won bronze that year, owing to some brilliant performances by Bayern Munich and World Cup champions Germany. - - - - - - ## 2015 - Neymar - - - - - - - - - - To this day, Neymar's failure to win the Ballon d'Or bothers him, but in reality, he's never come close to matching Messi and Ronaldo. He scored and assisted for joy as his team won the Champions League in 2015, but he received only 7.86 percent of the vote. - - - - - - ## 2016 - Antoine Griezmann - - - - - - - - - - With Leicester winning the Premier League and Portugal winning the Euros, 2016 was an odd year for football. Antoine Griezmann flourished in the midst of the tumult, doing well enough to win the Ballon d'Or for third place, adding to his Euro 2016 player of the tournament award. ## 2017 - Neymar - - - - - - - - - - PSG was expected to be Neymar's ticket to Ballon d'Or fame, and things were looking positive when he finished third halfway through his first season with the club. But things haven't gone so smoothly after then... ## 2019 - Virgil van Dijk - - - - - - - - - - Few players have ever had such a dramatic, instant impact on a team than Virgil van Dijk on Liverpool. It takes a lot for a defender to win the Ballon d'Or and the fact he finished just seven voting points behind 2019 winner Messi deserves huge credit. ## 2021 - Robert Lewandowski - - - - - - - - - - Following the cancellation of the 2020 award, which he was expected to win, due to the coronavirus epidemic, most people predicted Robert Lewandowski would win the Ballon d'Or in 2021. Messi won his eighth title, proving that it was not to be. At the very least, Lewandowski won the hurriedly put-together Striker of the Year award, which isn't patronizing in the least. - - - - - - - - Thanks for passing by