Without Messi and Ronaldo: Who Would Have Won the Ballon d’Or?
Without Messi and Ronaldo: Who Would Have Won the Ballon d’Or?

For nearly two decades, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have defined football’s greatest individual prize. Between them, they collected an astonishing 13 Ballon d’Or trophies, rewriting history and overshadowing a generation of extraordinary players.

But what if neither Messi nor Ronaldo had existed? Who would have claimed the Golden Ball in their absence?

In honor of the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony, we’ve reimagined the winners’ list — removing Messi and Ronaldo and awarding the trophy to the next highest finisher in each vote. The result is a fascinating alternate history of modern football.

How the Alternative Winners Were Chosen

The principle is simple: we took the official Ballon d’Or voting results for each year and awarded the trophy to the player who finished highest excluding Messi and Ronaldo.

This small adjustment completely reshapes the last two decades — and reveals which clubs, countries, and positions were truly closest to the throne.

Key Observations from the “No Messi, No Ronaldo” Ballon d’Or Era

1. Real Madrid and Portugal lost the most

The biggest losers in this alternate reality are Real Madrid and the Portuguese national team. Together, they missed out on four Ballons d’Or each that went to Messi or Ronaldo.

Barcelona, on the other hand, wouldn’t feel any pain: Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, and Neymar would have kept Barça’s legacy intact even without Leo.

2. A goalkeeper would have taken the crown

In 2014, Manuel Neuer would have been crowned the world’s best. That would have made him the first goalkeeper to lift the trophy since Lev Yashin in 1963 — a truly historic milestone.

3. A defender’s unique triumph

In 2019, Virgil van Dijk stood just behind Messi in the real vote. Without Leo, the Dutchman would have taken the Ballon d’Or, becoming one of the very few defenders in history to do so.

4. Bayern Munich missed out on three titles

The Bavarians would have celebrated Frank Ribéry (2013), Neuer (2014), and Robert Lewandowski (2021). Instead, the Messi-Ronaldo monopoly denied Bayern three Ballons d’Or.

Liverpool, meanwhile, would have collected two winners: Fernando Torres (2008) and Van Dijk (2019).

5. Neymar shines in two clubs

Neymar’s career has often been framed in the shadow of Messi and Ronaldo. But in this version, he wins the Ballon d’Or twice — once at Barcelona (2015) and once at PSG (2017).

6. Spain’s golden generation dominates

Between 2008 and 2012, Spain would have claimed five consecutive Ballons d’Or: Torres, Xavi, Iniesta (twice), and Xavi again. After that incredible run, the nation would wait 12 years before Rodri’s triumph in 2023.

7. New countries join the Ballon d’Or map

Without Messi and Ronaldo, the trophy would have traveled to the Netherlands (Van Dijk), Poland (Lewandowski), and even Norway (Erling Haaland). It shows just how global the award could have been.

The Alternative Ballon d’Or Winners (2008–2025)

Here’s how the list of champions looks without Messi and Ronaldo:

  • 2008 – Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
  • 2009 – Xavi (Barcelona)
  • 2010 – Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona)
  • 2011 – Xavi (Barcelona)
  • 2012 – Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona)
  • 2013 – Franck Ribéry (Bayern)
  • 2014 – Manuel Neuer (Bayern)
  • 2015 – Neymar (Barcelona)
  • 2016 – Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid)
  • 2017 – Neymar (PSG)
  • 2018 – Luka Modrić (Real Madrid)
  • 2019 – Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
  • 2020 – Not awarded
  • 2021 – Robert Lewandowski (Bayern)
  • 2022 – Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
  • 2023 – Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
  • 2024 – Rodri (Manchester City)
  • 2025 – Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)

What This Alternate Reality Tells Us

This thought experiment highlights just how much Messi and Ronaldo shaped modern football. By dominating the Ballon d’Or for so long, they “robbed” an entire generation of legends — from Ribéry to Lewandowski — of their rightful golden moment.

At the same time, it underlines the depth of talent across clubs and nations in the 21st century: keepers, defenders, midfield generals, and forwards all had legitimate claims.

Without Messi and Ronaldo, football history would look very different. But perhaps that’s exactly why their legacy feels so untouchable.

Published by Patrick Jane
23.09.2025