Former Real Madrid and Inter Milan star Wesley Sneijder has spoken out in sympathy with Vinicius Jr after the Brazilian narrowly missed out on the Ballon d’Or, which instead went to Manchester City’s midfield anchor, Rodri, Soccernet.football reports.
Reflecting on his own experience in 2010, Sneijder suggested that he too was “robbed” of the prestigious award.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ESports World Cup in Riyadh, the Dutch playmaker voiced his discontent with the selection process.
“Yes, they stole the Ballon d’Or from me in 2010,” Sneijder stated. “But honestly, I’m happy that people are still talking about it in 2024, 14 years later. People tell me, ‘Wesley, that year they robbed you.’
“Imagine if I had won the Ballon d’Or and people had said, ‘He took it from someone else.’ Individual awards are nice. But team successes like lifting the Champions League trophy were more precious to me than getting the Ballon d’Or.”
Sneijder’s comments draw a clear parallel between his situation and Vinicius Jr’s, whose Ballon d’Or bid this year was met with similar disappointment.
Sneijder’s 2010 season was nothing short of remarkable, leading Inter Milan to a historic treble under José Mourinho, and driving the Netherlands to the World Cup final.
Despite these accomplishments, the Ballon d’Or was awarded to Lionel Messi, sparking enduring debate among fans and football experts alike.
The Dutch international’s illustrious career began with Ajax, where he won four trophies and claimed the Johan Cruyff Trophy in 2004.
After a €27 million transfer to Real Madrid in 2007, he clinched La Liga in his debut season before moving to Inter Milan in 2009, where he won five trophies, including the Serie A, Champions League, and Coppa Italia in that landmark 2009-10 season. Later, at Galatasaray, he continued to add to his silverware, capturing the Süper Lig and the Turkish Super Cup.