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Pep Guardiola once named Xavi and Andres Iniesta as two players who never won the Ballon d'Or because of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The two Spanish midfielders are often considered among the greatest midfielders of all time.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated football for the last two decades, winning 13 Ballons d'Or together (Messi having eight and Ronaldo five). During this period, multiple other players may have missed out on the coveted award due to their dominance, including Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Xavi's best finish on the podium came in 2009, 2010, and 2011, when he stood third in the rankings. Iniesta's best finish was in 2010, when he stood second in the rankings after the winner, Lionel Messi.
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In an interview in October 2024, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola named Xavi and Andres Iniesta as two players who deserved to win the Ballon d'Or during the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo era. He said (via SPORTBible):
"Messi, nobody could beat him. Just Cristiano. Cristiano was a monster, and the father of the monster is Messi. And both have done something incredible in the last 15 or 20 years. And maybe in that moment, Xavi and Iniesta deserved the Ballon d’Or as well."
Pep Guardiola coached both Xavi and Iniesta during his time as Barcelona coach between 2008 and 2012. The two Spanish legends enjoyed unprecedented success in their careers, having won two Euro Cups and a World Cup with Spain. They also won multiple accolades with Barcelona, including two continental trebles.
When Toni Kroos claimed Lionel Messi did not deserve the Ballon d'Or over Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021
In a November 2021 conversation on his official podcast, former Real Madrid icon Toni Kroos shared his take on Lionel Messi winning his seventh Ballon d'Or in that year. The German believed Cristiano Ronaldo deserved it ahead of him.
"It's absolutely not deserved. There is no doubt that Messi, with Cristiano [Ronaldo], has been the player of the last decade, but this year there should've been others ahead of him. For me, Karim would have been the number one if you were really looking for the best individual player of the last year, because I can see from close quarters what an outstanding footballer he is," Kroos said (via GOAL).
Kroos then spoke about his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who was at Manchester United at that time.
"When I see how many decisive goals Cristiano has scored lately - Manchester United are still in the Champions League thanks to him alone - then, in my eyes, Cristiano would have also come before Messi. It is increasingly difficult for me to believe in football awards," he added.
Lionel Messi's seventh Ballon d'Or came after he led Barcelona to the Copa del Rey title and won his first international title with Argentina, i.e, the 2021 Copa America. He went to win his eighth one in 2023 after leading his country to the 2022 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo's last Ballon d'Or win came in 2017. He has been nominated for the award a record 18 times.
