In 1998, Zinedine Zidane led France to World Cup glory and earned the Ballon d’Or as a result. Similarly, Ronaldo Nazario received the honor in 2002, and Fabio Cannavaro in 2006. However, that tradition of rewarding World Cup winners was broken in 2010 when Lionel Messi won the prestigious award, despite Spain’s triumph on the global stage.
That Spanish squad featured a host of Barcelona stars, including Andres Iniesta, who cemented his place in history with an extra-time winner in the World Cup final against the Netherlands. According to Zidane, the Ballon d’Or that year should have gone to Iniesta.
Speaking in 2018 during a Real Madrid press conference after a training session, Zidane—then serving as the club’s head coach—praised Iniesta’s brilliance and lamented the oversight.
“I admired his style of play, and he never won a Ballon d’Or, but he deserved one. He should have won it the year he won the World Cup. He had an exceptional year, won the World Cup, and scored the goal in the final. It’s obvious he deserved it,” Zidane remarked.
Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona (C) holds the Ballon d’Or trophy flanked by his teammates Andres Iniesta (L) and Xavi Hermandez. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
That year, Barcelona won LaLiga but fell short in the Champions League. Messi, however, claimed the top scorer titles in both competitions and ultimately took home the Ballon d’Or, even though Argentina was eliminated in the World Cup quarterfinals by Germany. Iniesta finished second on the list, while Xavi secured third place
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Spanish legend Andres Iniesta chooses the greatest player in soccer history
France Football’s apology to Iniesta
In 2018, as Andres Iniesta announced his retirement, Pascal Ferré, the editor of France Football—the organization behind the Ballon d’Or—issued a rare public apology to the Spanish midfielder.
“Forgive us, Andres,” Ferré wrote in an editorial. “To us, he wasn’t just a player; he was the player. His sacrifices for his team ultimately cost him greater individual recognition. Of all the names absent from the Ballon d’Or winners’ list, his is particularly painful. He’s the greatest facilitator in the history of the game”.
In closing, Ferré captured Iniesta’s brilliance with a simple observation. “While most of his contemporaries struggled, he made the game look effortless for 15 years. Without vanity, he simply focused on bringing the game to life,” he added.
Iniesta reflects on the Ballon d’Or snub
In 2022, during an interview on Jordi Wild’s The Wild Project YouTube channel, Iniesta was candid when asked if he felt the Ballon d’Or was something the world owed him.
“No. I mean that sincerely. If someone says they play to win those awards, that’s fine. Would I have liked to win one? Of course. But it’s not something I feel is missing in my life,” Iniesta explained. “I’ve never been too focused on individual awards, even though I’ve won some. It’s not something that was ever deeply ingrained in me”.
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