This year France Football magazine will once again deliver the Ballon d’Or to the best player of the season, after a year marked by the pandemic in which it was suspended. We already know the 30 candidates and the award could be more open than ever, although there are players who except for maximum surprise it is clear that they will not win it. In the past, this award was won by legendary players, but there were years when the award had a great controversy for being given to a footballer in an unexpected way. Let’s review the 10 most controversial.
In 2001, all the lights were on Raúl González, who had been standing out for Real Madrid for years and had not yet been awarded. The Spaniard had scored 32 goals that season, however, the winner was Owen, who despite his 24 goals, also won more titles.
In 1991 Papin reached the final of the European Cup with Marseille but was defeated by Red Star. Everyone hoped that the Ballon d’Or would go to Pancev, but the Frenchman finally took it, something that created a stir, as the award is given by a French magazine.
The criteria for winning the Ballon d’Or are sometimes confusing, on many occasions individual performances are rewarded in national team tournaments, and on others, it is the clubs that tip the balance. In this case, Sammer beat Ronaldo Nazario and Shearer in 1996 for the great European Championship that the German scored.
In 2006 something similar happened, a player from the champion team was the one who won the award. In this case, a center-back, something unusual, was the winner. Cannavaro was Italy’s best at the 2006 World Cup and for this he won the award, but most agreed that Zidane deserved it.
Since 2008 only Modric has been able to snatch the award from Messi or Cristiano. His appointment was controversial because of this, and because his team was runner-up in the World Cup in Russia, although the Croatian’s performance was brilliant.
The Ukrainian perhaps deserved a Ballon d’Or, but in 2004 he had a very poor season and everyone agrees that Deco should have won him for the double with Porto or Vicente Rodríguez from Valencia.
The Dutchman won the award against all odds, as the favorite was Futre, who that same year had won the European Cup with Porto and had had a very outstanding performance.
He is the only goalkeeper in football history to have won the best player award. His stops were decisive for the achievement of the titles with the national team and his club, but his choice was not without controversy, since the goalkeepers have always been in the background.
That the best player in the world wins the Ballon d’Or should not generate controversy, but in 2010, after the World Cup that Spain won, many agree that Xavi or Iniesta deserved it more, since they won the same as Messi, and they also shone at the World Cup.
In 2013 the winner was Cristiano Ronaldo, who has always maintained a high level since he was active. That year however, he only won one title for Ribery’s 5, who shone outstandingly and won the Champions League.