Wesley Sneijder expresses frustration over “unfair” 2010 Ballon d’Or loss to Lionel Messi

Former Real Madrid player Wesley Sneijder was one of the hottest names in the world of football during the previous decade. Not only did Sneijder shine in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, but he was also pivotal in winning the treble for Inter Milan in the 2009-10 season. However, his efforts were not enough to get him the Ballon d’Or.

In the race to become the world’s best player in 2010, Lionel Messi, who recently added his eighth Ballon d’Or to his name, defeated Sneijder to bag his second Ballon d’Or. With regard to it, Wesley Sneijder has recently opened up about being upset with the decision of France Football to ditch the Dutchman and feeling it was ‘unfair’.

Sneijder opens up about career regrets

Wesley Sneijder, who retired from international duty in 2018, has always been a household name among the previous generation of footballers. His efforts in the World Cup are remembered by everyone, but there are a few things that the Dutch legend would like to forget.

Sneijder has now come forward to accept that he felt Messi winning the 2010 Ballon d’Or was not fair, as the former Inter player lifted the treble with the Italian side and reached the final of the World Cup, which did not prove to be enough, and the award was rather given to Messi.

Sneijder also opened up about how he prefers the Champions League over the Ballon D’or award, which speaks a lot about his characteristic of being a team player rather than chasing individual accolades. Sneijder added that he is still “heartbroken” about the 2010 World Cup final that the Netherlands lost to Spain.

When did Wesley Sneijder win the Champions League?

Wesley Sneijder’s CV is a decent one to have if we talk about footballers who have retired. He started his career with Ajax, and after having five good seasons with the Dutch giants, he moved to Real Madrid as a Galactico in 2007. 

However, he reached his peak when Mourinho got him to Italy signing for Inter Milan, where he won the Serie A, the Coppa Nazionale and the UEFA Champions League, completing the coveted treble in the 2009/10 season.

Sneijder then moved to Galatasaray in 2012 and stayed there for five seasons, winning two league titles and three domestic cups. Sneijder joined Al Garafa in Qatar in his last years, where he hung up his boots in 2019. For the Netherlands, Sneijder was a World Cup runner-up in 2010 and a second runner-up in the 2014 edition hosted in Brazil.

Should Wesley Sneijder have won the 2010 Ballon d’Or over Lionel Messi? Tell us what you think in the comments section.