#2 Cristiano Ronaldo would not have won so many Ballon d’Or awards
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Football has never seen a rivalry more fierce than the one involving Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The two have dominated the world football for nearly a decade. They have shared the Ballon d’Or since 2008, with Messi winning five times and Ronaldo winning four times.
But if Messi played for Spain, would Ronaldo have won four Ballon d’Or titles? Not undermining the Portuguese superstar’s achievements, it is doubtful that he would have won four.
Hypothetically, with Messi winning the 2008 Euro Cup, the results for the Ballon d’Or in 2008 might have been very different (although Ronaldo did have an incredible season and should have still won). In 2013, of course, the entire voting procedure was shrouded in controversy. Again in 2016, if Portugal had not won the Euro Cup with Messi leading the Spanish side, the story could have been very different.
It is possible that Messi would have won at least two more Ballon d’Or awards with Ronaldo losing out. And the debate about who is the best at the moment would have ended without much argument.
