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

#4 Andrea Pirlo

Pirlo is one of the classiest players to ever play the game

The first thing which comes to mind when you think about Andrea Pirlo is class. The Italian midfielder ran the show for Italy and Juventus since 2010 and he was among the world's best players consistently from 2011-2014. Calm, composed and always making the right decision on the ball, Pirlo almost single-handedly (with a bit of help from Mario Balotelli) dragged the Italian national team to Euro 2012 final.

The supreme playmaker was also one of the most important reasons for Juventus' revival as a Serie A superpower, firmly establishing himself as one of the world's best central midfielders under the guidance of Antonio Conte.

A dead ball specialist, Pirlo not only assisted plenty of goals, he also scored some absolutely spectacular free-kicks and was a role model both on and off the pitch. Although Pirlo could only manage a 7th place finish in the 2012 Ballon d'Or awards, the Italian midfielder would certainly have claimed the game's most prestigious individual prize if he was part of a different era.

Sit back and enjoy the genius of Andrea Pirlo