Barcelona hero Xavi makes feelings clear when asked if he deserved to win Ballon d’Or ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during his peak

Xavi has stated that he never deserved to win a Ballon d'Or during his career as it was the peak of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Spaniard added that he was proud of his career and the three podium finishes in the Ballon d'Or award were enough for him.

Speaking to France Football Via Florent Torchut, Xavi claimed that he was never better than Ronaldo or Messi during their peak. He believes that the duo got all their awards because they deserved them.

Xavi said via Barca Universal:

“I don’t consider myself a better player than Lionel Messi or Cristiano, the Ballon d’Or winners of those years. I was a playmaker, but I didn’t have the ability to win games on my own. I’m proud to have finished on the podium third three times, even if there’s no official award.”

Xavi was on the Ballon d'Or podium thrice and finished third on all occasions. All three of his appearances at the France Football Award came in consecutive years from 2009 to 2011 – when Lionel Messi picked up the award all three times, while Cristiano Ronaldo finished 2nd in 2009 and 2011.

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Lothar Matthaus claims Xavi and Andres Iniesta should have won a Ballon d'Or in the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo era

Lothar Matthaus spoke about the Ballon d'Or 12 years ago and stated that Xavi and Andres Iniesta deserved to win the award in 2012. He stated that the Spanish duo should have won the France Football award at least once in their career, especially from 2009 to 2012 - when Lionel Messi won it every single time.

He said via Telegraph:

"In my opinion, we currently have exceptional footballers who can justify winning the Ballon d'Or with titles, but I think a Spaniard should win the Ballon d'or. My favorites are Xavi and Iniesta. I think they are not on the scene as much as Ronaldo and Messi, because they don't score often, but they have won trophies with the club and the national team. They are the heart of Barcelona and Spain, while showing crucial performances on the pitch. They did this very well in Euro 2012. Of course, last year Messi and Ronaldo shone with their clubs, setting extraordinary records with goals scored. However, they have not been able to do this with their national teams."

Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or 5 times in his career, while Lionel Messi won the award eight times in his career - the latest was in 2023.