Not only did he take home the gong a record eight times, but he also finished second in the rankings five times and third once.

Since he first participated in 2007, he has finished in the top three 14 out of 16 possible times.

During those years, world football has seen outstanding talents denied recognition in his shining shadow – and we’re not just talking about Cristiano Ronaldo.

What would the Golden Ball be without Messi? Mail Sport explores the figures who came closer to the title but were stopped by La Pulga.

Cristiano Ronaldo – 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015

Cristiano Ronaldo would have nine Ballon d’Ors if it weren’t for his great rival.

During the years of being second to Messi, CR7 scored 200 goals, including a career-best 61 goals in the 2014/15 season.

Those seasons saw him win many major trophies at club level – the Premier League title with Manchester United in the 2008/09 season and the La Liga title with Real Madrid in the 2011/12 season.

The Champions League is usually the most important tournament if there are no international tournaments taking place.

Ronaldo has won three of his five Ballon d’Or thanks to his success in the Champions League, while in three of the four years he finished second, Messi won Europe’s most coveted club trophy.

Andres Iniesta – 2010

On paper, Andres Iniesta’s 2009/10 season was statistically unremarkable. Five goals and one assist while injury brought an early end to his club campaign.

But those statistics do not capture the greatness of Iniesta, whose passing ability and work ethic have put him alongside Xavi as one of the world’s best midfielders. .

Barcelona won La Liga with 99 points and the summer of 2010 was a special summer in collective football memory.

Iniesta was a mainstay in Spain’s World Cup-winning midfield and inspired them through close-fought encounters, as La Roja won all their knockout matches 1-0.

The midfielder scored the decisive goal in stoppage time against the Netherlands to seal the World Cup victory and win the Man of the Match award.

His form was so good that years later, France Football magazine had to apologize for not awarding him that year.

Virgil van Dijk – 2019

Virgil van Dijk was so indomitable in the 2018/19 season that he was the first defender to reach the top three of the Ballon d’Or since Fabio Cannavaro won it in 2006.

That year, he won the UEFA Player of the Season, Premier League Player of the Season, PFA Player of the Season and a place in the FIFPRO World 11.

Through 50 matches, he was the mainstay that helped Liverpool win the Champions League and ranked second in England’s top tournament with 97 points.

It is said that the Dutchman is the best Premier League defender ever and there is no denying that his presence, leadership and reliability have transformed Liverpool.

He was also a significant contributor at the other end, scoring six goals during the season.

Unfortunately for him, he lost out to the much more fashionable Messi despite helping eliminate Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals with a resounding 4-0 win at Anfield.

That year, Messi scored 45 goals and won the La Liga championship.

2021 – Robert Lewandowski

If Messi doesn’t win the Copa America in 2021, there’s an overwhelming feeling that Robert Lewandowski will have a Ballon d’Or trophy in his locker.

He was said to have been robbed in 2020, when no prizes were given out because of Covid-19. In the 2019/20 season, he scored 55 goals to help Bayern Munich win the treble.

He backed that up with another 48 goals and four trophies the following season, scoring from every position. He is exciting to watch and it looks like he will be the first outstanding striker to win the Ballon d’Or since Andriy Shevchenko in 2004.

It did not form. Seemingly running out of consolation, FIFA created the “Striker of the Year” category in 2021 and awarded that title to Lewandowski. Besides the Ballon d’Or, at least he can have a new award with no history.

Messi was excellent that year, scoring 38 goals and winning the Copa America, but for many fans, Lewandowski deserved to win.

2023 – Erling Haaland

Has there ever been a more complete number 9 than Erling Haaland at such a young age?

Speed, power, clinical finishing, perfect timing, perfect movement. Haaland is relentless.

The 52 goals he brought to Manchester City as they won the treble and he revolutionized Pep Guardiola’s system, which had previously operated without an all-round striker.

Sure, he didn’t win the World Cup final like Messi did. The Argentine’s form in Qatar was excellent and he was the difference-maker with two goals against France in the final.

However, a total of 21 goals, 20 assists and a Ligue 1 trophy as his only major trophy in the 2022/23 season raises the question – Messi’s victory this year is due to nostalgia Or an honest comparison with Haaland?

Six players would have finished second or third had Messi not been available, and some of them have been stars in the past.

Fernando Torres – 2008 (third place)

There was a time when Fernando Torres was an excellent striker, even if memories of his time with England were tarnished by his time with Chelsea.

In the 2007/08 season, he scored 33 goals for Liverpool and fostered a close relationship with Steven Gerrard to take third place in the rankings behind Ronaldo and Messi.

He also won the Euro with Spain, but it will be difficult for him to beat the best team in the world without any domestic titles.

2013 – Franck Ribery (third place)

This is one of the most controversial Golden Ball votes ever, when Ronaldo won 27.99% of the votes, Messi 24.72% and Ribery 23.36%.

The silky left-footed Ribery guided Bayern Munich to the treble and assisted Arjen Robben to seal victory in the Champions League final.

However, his 11 goals and 18 assists were not enough to win him the UEFA Player of the Year award.

2014 – Manuel Neuer (third place)

There have only been 3 goalkeepers this century in the top 3 Golden Balls and after winning the World Cup, Manuel Neuer deserves to be among them.

This sweeper goalkeeper won the World Goalkeeper of the Year award, the World Cup Golden Glove and the German double.

However, 25 clean sheets and 34 conceded goals after 51 appearances at the club level are not enough to break the hegemony of Ronaldo and Messi.

2016 – Antoine Griezman (third place)

The 2015/16 season was a brilliant season for Antoine Griezman as he scored 32 goals and Atletico Madrid won 88 points in the rankings… only to finish third behind Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Indeed, it was their regular representatives who ranked higher than the Frenchman that year, but that was his betting scoring season.

There was also the small matter of reaching the European Championship final against France, although they lost 1-0 to Portugal via Eder’s impressive goal.

2017 – Neymar (third place)

It seems like Neymar’s potential is a bit affected as he has only been in the top three for the Ballon d’Or title twice.

In 2017, he achieved that rare form for a second time after scoring 20 goals and 26 assists in his final season at Barcelona.

From there he went to PSG to become a mainstay but was never able to start and was overwhelmed by Kylian Mbappé and… Messi.

2007 – Didier Drogba (fourth place)

On his day, Didier Drogba is out, and he happens to have plenty of days this season when he scores 33 goals.

The strange thing is that this is one of the seasons where he did not win the national championship or Champions League with Chelsea, but did win the two main English domestic cups and Chelsea have a chance to win the quadruple until the 1st. /5.

Kaka, Ronaldo and Messi ranked above the Ivory Coast international, but there is no denying his influence under Jose Mourinho.