Sneijder Understands Vinícius' Disappointment over The Ballon d'Or
While Vinícius Jr. was deeply affected by not winning the Ballon d'Or, Wesley Sneijder believes he too was a victim of a great injustice in 2010.
Wesley Sneijder never hesitated to speak his mind when he was a professional player. Therefore, it’s no surprise that he hasn’t changed his character or become more measured now that he’s retired, especially when it comes to commenting on current football issues, which he still follows closely. True to his reputation, the former Inter Milan midfielder shared his views on the final result of the Ballon d'Or.
The award, which surprised many by being given to Rodri when Vinícius Jr. was the favorite, has been the subject of much controversy in the past ten days. While Real Madrid and the Brazilian international considered Rodri’s coronation a great injustice, deciding to boycott the ceremony and cancel their trip to Paris, Wesley Sneijder sided with them, as he too felt wronged when the award was given in 2010. That year, after winning a stunning treble with Inter Milan and reaching the World Cup final with the Netherlands, he ended up off the podium, as the Ballon d'Or was awarded to Lionel Messi.
"They also robbed me of the Ballon d'Or"
"They also robbed me of the Ballon d'Or," the Dutchman recently admitted during a promotional event. "Honestly, I’m happy people are still talking about it in 2024. They keep telling me, ‘Wesley, you got robbed in 2010.’ Individual awards are nice, but team trophies, like winning the Champions League, that has much more value than winning the Ballon d'Or," he added, according to Daily Mail. Fourteen years later, Wesley Sneijder still doesn’t seem to have gotten over that disappointment.
