Wesley Sneijder: “It was a little unfair that I didn’t win the 2010 Ballon d’Or”

• Wesley Sneijder believes he was robbed of the 2010 Ballon d’Or.
• Messi did not have as good of a season as Sneijder.
• Sneijder says he would rather win collective trophies than individual awards.

Wesley Sneijder, a former midfielder for Real Madrid, spoke candidly about his unsuccessful attempt to win the 2010 Ballon d’Or against Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona, despite enjoying an outstanding season with both his club, Inter Milan, and the Netherlands national team.

The cornerstone of Inter’s strategy and the reason the Italian powerhouses won their first-ever treble (Seria A, Coppa Italia, and UEFA Champions League title) was Sneijder, who was Jose Mourinho’s most reliable player in Milan. Sneijder also participated in the FIFA World Cup 2010 final, which he lost to Spain.

The attacking midfielder, however, placed fourth with only 14% of the vote, trailing FC Barcelona’s trio of Messi (22%), Andres Iniesta (17%), and Xavi (16%), despite having an incredible season with the team and the nation.

Messi’s only La Liga victory came in 2010. He also lost to Sneijder’s Milan in the UCL semifinals and to eventual Copa del Ray winners Sevilla in the Round of 16.

Germany eliminated Argentina in the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup, and Messi, the current Ballon d’Or winner, failed to score a single goal.

“It was a little unfair that I didn’t win the 2010 Ballon d’Or and Messi did,” Sneijder said in an interview with the Egyptian channel.

“But I’m not a guy who cries about that. The Ballon d’Or is an individual award, and I prefer to win collective trophies.

“If I had to choose between the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or, I would choose the Champions League I won, I’m very happy with that title.

“We deserved to win in the 2010 final against Spain, but they were incredible and beat us. Reaching the final was a wonderful achievement that I dreamed of and I’m still heartbroken to have lost.”

Sneijder only ever placed inside the top ten Ballon d’Or votes once, in 2010 (in fourth place).

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