Ballon d'Or: 10 players who could have won if Messi and Ronaldo did not exist

#5 Wesley Sneijder

Sneijder was the architect of Inter's incredible treble in 2010

One of the most complete players of his generation, Dutchman Wesley Sneijder was the odds-on favourite to claim the Ballon d’Or prize in 2010. The architect of Inter Milan’s famous treble season under Jose Mourinho and an invaluable member of the Dutch team which made it to the World Cup final, Sneijder was definitely tipped to be in at least the 3 man shortlist in 2010.

However, in what came as a shock, the Dutchman was completely ignored from the 3 man shortlist with Barcelona's legendary trio of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi making the final cut. Capable of playing as a deep-lying playmaker or as a number 10, Sneijder dictated his side’s play and was quite often the difference between victory and defeat.

Sneijder's impact that year could be seen from the fact that even Barcelona legend Xavi was unhappy with the fact that he was left out of the top 3. Speaking to Sport in 2010, Xavi had said:

"As for Sneijder, I know that in Italy they are angry because he is not one of the finalists. I can only agree with them. The Dutchman has had a fantastic year," he said.

Sneijder would certainly have won the Ballon d'Or in 2010 if a certain Lionel Messi did not exist.