3 players who should have won the Ballon d’Or

#1 Wesley Sneijder

Netherlands v Peru - International Friendly

What happened to Franck Ribery in 2013 was a mere shadow of the events that befell Wesley Sneijder in 2010. The Dutchman was named UEFA Midfielder of the Season that year, but the Ballon d'Or voters saw things quite differently.

Sneijder was perhaps the most consistent football player throughout 2010. He was highly exceptional for Inter Milan and successfully led them to win the Champions League. He carried the Netherlands on his head right into the final of the World Cup where they lost to Spain. Notably, during the World Cup tournament, he won the Man of the Match award four times, and was the highest joint top scorer.

The Dutchman gave dashing, world-class performances throughout the year, and so it came as a shock when Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi Hernandez emerged as the finalists for the Ballon d'Or. Before many pundits and fans could get over the shock of excluding Wesley Sneijder from the podium, Messi was announced the winner of the prestigious award.

Notably, both Iniesta and Xavi were part of the Spain squad that beat the Netherlands in the finals of the World Cup that year. That Messi, whose national team and club did not reach any major tournament finals, won the award was beyond comprehension for many fans across the world.

It is still widely believed that the 2010 Ballon d'Or was snatched from right under Wesley Sneijder's nose, and it is also the sole reason that the current 35-year-old - who now plays in Qatar - will never be a recipient of the elusive award.