Here is a list of every player who would've won the Ballon d'Or if Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo never existed.
Messi and Ronaldo have held a stranglehold on the prestigious Ballon d'Or award since 2008.
They have won a combined 13 prizes between them, with Messi edging out Ronaldo 8-5.
The Argentine won his eighth Ballon d'Or award in 2023, beating Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe to the individual honour.
As for the ex-Manchester United man, he won his last Ballon d'Or title in 2017 when he trumped Messi and Neymar to the distinguished award.
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But if Messi and Ronaldo never existed, then the likes of Haaland and Neymar would've got their hands on the Ballon d'Or.
What's more, Neymar, who has never won the Ballon d'Or, would have two titles next to his name.
Every player who would've won the Ballon d'Or if Messi and Ronaldo never existed
The Messi-Ronaldo dominance began in 2008, with both players going head-to-head for the award.
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Fernando Torres, who scored 33 goals in 46 games for Liverpool in the 2007/08 season, finished third in 2008, meaning he would have won the award.
Barcelona legends Xavi and Andres Iniesta would alternate winning the Ballon d'Or between 2009 and 2012.
Franck Ribery would've been crowned Ballon d'Or winner in 2013, and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer would've won it in 2014, which would've made him the first goalkeeper to win the coveted award since Lev Yashin, who triumphed in 1963.
Neymar, who played with Messi at Barca, would've won two Ballon d'Or awards in three years.
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Antoine Griezmann, Virgil van Dijk, Robert Lewandowski and Haaland would've also won the Ballon d'Or if Messi and Ronaldo never existed.
Full list below:
2008 - Fernando Torres
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2009 - Xavi
2010 - Andres Iniesta
2011 - Xavi
2012 - Andres Iniesta
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2013 - Franck Ribery
2014 - Manuel Neuer
2015 - Neymar
2016 - Antonie Griezmann
2017 - Neymar
2019 - Virgil van Dijk
2021 - Robert Lewandowski
2023 - Erling Haaland
Topics: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ballon d'Or, Football
Nasir Jabbar