• Wesley Sneijder's 2010 Ballon d'Or snub sparked a lot of controversies, as the playmaker was involved in every trophy his side won
  • The Inter Milan star did not make it even in the top three, despite winning a treble and the Bronze Boot at the World Cup
  • Franck Ribery had a similar case against Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013, after winning the treble with Bayern Munich
  • Wesley Sneijder's 2010 Ballon d'Or snub sparked a lot of controversies, as the playmaker was involved in every trophy his side won
  • The Inter Milan star did not make it even in the top three, despite winning a treble and the Bronze Boot at the World Cup
Franck Ribery had a similar case against Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013, after winning the treble with Bayern Munich
The decision to hold the 2022 World Cup in the 'weird' month of December has brought about a chain of unprecedented debate ahead of the 2023 Ballon d'Or race.
The World Cup is often a strong indicator of who will win the Ballon d'Or, with Lionel Messi leading the race for the individual gong. Erling Haaland has since immersed himself in that debate.

However, with Messi's early elimination from the Champions League, the 2023 race will be determined by a couple of things apart from the World Cup. Let's face it, by the time the 2023 vote reaches, the Qatar bonanza will be in distant memory.