The most controversial Golden Ball titles in history

The Golden Ball Award is the highest honor to honor an outstanding individual, so the controversy about its owner has never come to an end.

Why couldn't Sneijer win the Ballon d'Or 2010?

"Messi did not steal Sneijder's 2010 Golden Ball"

The Golden Ball title is always the highest award for an individual after achievements in the past year. Since 2021, France Football has changed the criteria for considering the title when changing to seasonal achievements. not the calendar year.

Many players after 1 year of effective performance were honored. But there are also players who absolutely deserve to receive this title, but when the award is announced, what they receive is only regret.

Below are the 3 most controversial Golden Ball awards in football history according to SportBrief.

Robert Lewandowski - 2020

Lewandowski deserves the 2020 Golden Ball title if it is not canceled

The most unfortunate case on this list belongs to Robert Lewandowski, the Polish player who spent a wonderful season with Bayern Munich and won a historic treble. What Lewandowski did that year was no less than what Karim Benzema could do in 2022. Cruelly, even though there was no worthy opponent that year, Lewandowski still couldn't win it. The reason could not have been more cruel: the award ceremony had to be canceled due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Many people joked that it was France Football that "robbed" Lewandowski of this honor, not any opponent. other.

Franck Ribery - 2013

Ribery failed to win the 2013 Silver Ball award

Lewandowski's former teammate at Bayern Munich is none other than Franck Ribery. As the main nucleus of Die Roten's treble under Jupp Heynckes, it would be completely deserved if the French player received this title. However, he was defeated by Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2013 Golden Ball race even though the Portuguese player ended the season without having won any title other than the European Golden Shoe achievement. Ribery couldn't even win that year's consolation prize, the Silver Ball.

Wesley Sneijder - 2010

Sneijder was not even in the top 3 nominations for the 2010 Golden Ball

Many people probably still remember Wesley Sneijder's achievements in 2010 when he helped Inter win 3 in the 2009/10 season and brought the Netherlands to the World Cup final in South Africa just 1 month later. But the winner that time was Lionel Messi. Sneijder did not even make it into the top 3 of the vote. Even though El Pulga scored 60 goals that season, if you look at Sneijder's performance, if he had won the 2010 Golden Ball title, no one would have objected.