A former star of Real Madrid has voiced his lingering disappointment, claiming that he was unjustly denied the Ballon d'Or award 14 years ago. The annual Parisian event, where a select group of 100 journalists cast their votes for the world's premier footballer, takes into account individual and team performance, as well as sportsmanship and fair play.

This year, Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior expressed his discontent after being overshadowed by Manchester City and Spain's Rodri marking, the first time since 2006 that a forward player like Thierry Henry was surpassed by a defender, in this case, Fabio Cannavaro. While time typically soothes such grievances, one ex-Real Madrid player continues to feel the sting of being overlooked during the era dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. This individual was passed over in favor of Messi 14 years ago. Wesley Sneijder, who had an exceptional year in 2010, showcased his skills on the field, making him a delight to watch. He secured the Champions League title with Inter Milan, under the guidance of Jose Mourinho, defeating Bayern Munich in a final that saw Diego Milito score twice. Sneijder was also pivotal for the Netherlands national team, which nearly clinched the World Cup, only to defeated be by Spain in extra time. Despite his remarkable achievements in 2010, Sneijder was not awarded football's most sought-after individual accolade. He did not even rank in the top three, with the panel opting for Barcelona's Messi, Xavi, and Andres Iniesta. Supporters of Sneijder still debate the decision, and the player himself, now 40, admits in an interview that he feels he was "robbed." However, Sneijder also noted that the controversy surrounding the snub has kept his legacy alive. He stated, "I'm more happy by the fact that now in 2024, 14 years later, people are still talking about it and they're telling me like 'Wes, you got robbed in 2010'." He further elaborated, "Imagine I won it and people now are saying, 'yeah but he robbed it'. Individual prizes are nice, but team prizes, raising the cup, the Champions League, are for me more valuable than winning the Golden Ball." Messi won the prestigious honor for the second time that year after netting an astonishing 60 goals for his club and country. Iniesta placed second due to his decisive goal in the World Cup final, while Xavi secured third place for his consistently strong midfield performances. This year marked the beginning of a streak of Messi and Ronaldo victories that remained unbroken until Luka Modric claimed the trophy in 2018.