Sneijder: "The Ballon d'Or Was Stolen from Me in 2010; Team Honors Are More Important Than Individual Awards"

Recently, a video circulated online featuring Dutch football legend Wesley Sneijder discussing the controversial 2010 Ballon d'Or rankings in an interview during a break at the Riyadh Esports World Cup.

In 2010, Sneijder not only helped Inter Milan win the historic treble but also led the Dutch national team to the World Cup final. However, he only finished fourth in that year's Ballon d'Or voting.

Sneijder commented, “Yes, they stole the Ballon d'Or from me in 2010. But honestly, what makes me happy is that, even 14 years later, people still speak up for me. People still tell me, ‘Sneijder, that year, they stole your trophy.’ Imagine if I had actually won the Ballon d'Or and people were saying, ‘He stole it from someone else.’ How would that feel?”

He further emphasized, “Personal accolades are important, but for me, the achievements we made as a team—like lifting the Champions League trophy—mean more to me than the Ballon d'Or.”