Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d'Or.
In a career that's spanned over 15 amazing years, we decided to take a look back at his best years and rank them!
In a career that's spanned over 15 amazing years, we decided to take a look back at his best years and rank them!
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00:00 Hello everybody, Adam here again from 442. Now, if you've not been following the news
00:10 this week, then you might not have heard that Mr Lionel Messi, right there, won the Ballon
00:15 d'Or again.
00:16 What? What? Nah, I never knew that. I never knew that.
00:22 Yeah, I mean, it was no surprise really, because Fabrizio Romano decided to tell us all a week
00:27 ago, so, you know, no one was really shocked. But the debate has obviously been whether
00:32 it should have been him, or whether it should have been Erling Haaland, or perhaps someone
00:35 else, Kylian Mbappe perhaps. I don't want to really get into that, because at the end
00:40 of the day, it is a little bit tedious. They're all very good players, and Lionel Messi is
00:44 the best player I have ever seen in my life, so him winning the award off the back of a
00:48 World Cup, for me, is not the end of the world.
00:51 So I thought, why not do something a little bit different, and rank all of Messi's eight
00:55 Ballon d'Or wins, from season to season, based on the achievements he got in that year, as
01:00 well as the goals, as well that he scored, his general play, just how good he was, and
01:05 which ones were the most significant in his journey. So, yeah, let's have a go at it.
01:10 So in at number eight, and his worst of the eight Ballon d'Ors, I've gone for 2021. That
01:16 was the year where he scored 43 goals and won the Copa America for Argentina, which
01:21 was of course, a very, very significant moment. Of course, they didn't win international trophies
01:26 under Lionel Messi, other than the Olympic Games, if you want to count that, but I don't
01:31 personally. He did win the Copa America in 2021, which was a seismic moment for his career,
01:36 because people had always doubted him on the international stage. Obviously, you remember
01:40 in 2016, he actually retired from the Argentinian national team, and then obviously came back
01:45 when they were like, "Mate, we need you." But he returned, and he returned in style,
01:50 winning the Copa America. But I've put it eighth, because Emi Martinez also played a
01:55 massive part in that Copa America win, with the shootout save against Colombia, and other
01:59 amazing saves. I mean, he's a fantastic goalkeeper, full stop. And also, 2020 and 2021, as everyone
02:06 watching this video will know, it was just a weird period of history in general, and
02:10 life in general, but also football in history. I mean, the games behind closed doors. So
02:15 I feel like the validity of any competition that was won in that year is slightly, slightly,
02:21 slightly, not tarnished, but just not as impressive as the years where it was played in front
02:27 of fans. And of course, as well, he did leave Barcelona in 2021 as well, which was the end
02:32 of an era, a very sad and an unfitting ending for Messi, really, after what he did in a
02:37 Barcelona shirt. So for all those things intertwined, it was nice for him to win that Ballon d'Or
02:41 in 2021 with the Copa America, but I think out of the eight, it was his worst one, probably.
02:47 But, you know, I'd still take it if I was him. Okay, in at number seven, I've gone for
02:52 this year, 2023, the one that has just gone, and the one where people were saying it was
02:56 a robbery, it was this, Haaland should have won it, da da da da da. Look, end of the day,
03:00 he still won the World Cup, which is better than the Copa America, and he got 46 goals
03:05 and assists in all competitions throughout the calendar year, which is still very impressive
03:10 for a 35 year old who's now playing a deeper role in the pitch. He's not as advanced as
03:14 he used to be in the old Barcelona teams, the Pep Guardiola teams, playing right wing,
03:18 centre forward, you name it. He plays a deep line role now, and obviously at PSG, that
03:22 worked really well finding Mbappe over with those floated balls. But listen, in the World
03:27 Cup, he was a man mounting, and he did carry them in certain games. I remember the Netherlands
03:32 game where he played that defence splitting pass through Nathan Ake's legs, scored the
03:36 penalty, and he felt like a bit of a new man this year. He was giving a bit of stick to
03:39 Louis van Gaal, he called Weghorst a...
03:42 Yeah, a bobo, which means a fool, or an idiot I believe in English, but yeah, very unlike
03:55 Messi when people used to characterise him as a quiet man. But regardless, a seismic
04:00 year for him and one that really capped off his career in the perfect fashion really,
04:04 it was a perfect ending for him, cemented his status as the GOAT, I mean I personally
04:09 think it was cemented anyway. It was probably cemented in about 2012 to be honest, but we'll
04:16 get onto that later on.
04:17 Alright then, in at number 6, I've gone for 2009, which was his first of all 8 Ballon
04:23 d'Ors, and of course you remember this as the year where he won his, well, not his first
04:27 Champions League technically, because he did get a medal in 2006, but his first Champions
04:31 League where he was a mainstay in the team, playing under Pep Guardiola, that treble winning
04:35 side, and playing from the right wing as well.
04:38 He's just 21, he got 41 goals from right wing, right, right, right, right, right wing that
04:44 season, which is ridiculous, you know, you think about the numbers that modern day wingers
04:49 put up from wide positions, no one can really compete with him.
04:52 And of course 2009 was the year of that famous game in Rome against Manchester United which
04:56 really birthed the Messi and Ronaldo era, so that had so much significance for the next
05:01 10 years of football that it definitely ranks middle of the list I would say.
05:05 We know Ronaldo was going to move to Real Madrid anyway had Manchester United won that
05:09 final, but listen, it set the precedent then, you had Ronaldo who won that Ballon d'Or
05:13 in '08, then Messi in '09, and then we didn't see another winner until 10 years later with
05:18 Luka Modric in 2018, which is just ridiculous.
05:22 Alright then, in at number 5, this is where it gets really tricky, I've gone for 2010
05:26 next, now let's have a look at what he did that year.
05:30 So this was obviously the famous year where Zlatan Ibrahimović signed for Barcelona and
05:33 was playing under Pep Guardiola, well I say playing, he only played a handful of games
05:37 before Messi then moved to centre forward and there was a bit of a riff there obviously,
05:41 very very well documented in the past, but he started playing centre forward and from
05:45 scoring 41 goals at right wing the season before, he then scored 58 from centre forward
05:50 that season, and it's when people were really like "oh my god he is good".
05:55 This was also a massive year for Messi because it was really the year where people started
05:59 to discuss him as potentially the best player that's ever played football at the age of
06:03 22, which is ridiculous.
06:05 You might remember around February to March period of 2010, Barcelona played Arsenal at
06:11 the Nou Camp and Messi scored 4 goals, one was a long shot from range on his left foot,
06:15 then one on his right foot from close range, a rebounded shot, and then a solo one on one
06:19 that was chipped over Almunia into the back of the net and then a solo goal driving through
06:24 the heart of Arsenal's defence.
06:25 Jinx in one way, goal in the other, pass for Marlon and burying it through Almunia's legs
06:29 and it really was probably the first performance where people were really having to say what
06:36 they saw.
06:37 They could no longer pretend that it was offensive to compare this man to the likes of Pele,
06:43 Maradona and Johan Cruyff.
06:44 That's when people really started to do it.
06:47 And then also in March of 2010, Barcelona went away to Real Zaragoza.
06:51 Why are you talking like that?
06:52 You're from Stockport, Adam, stop it.
06:54 Anyway, Barcelona won that game 4-2 and Lionel Messi scored another hat trick after the Arsenal
06:59 game and very generously gifted a penalty to Zlatan Ibrahimovic after winning it.
07:03 He basically dragged the whole team on his back in that game as good as they were.
07:07 In at number four, I've gone for 2019.
07:10 A lot of people really like to say that he ghosted that second leg at Anfield in that
07:14 year, but realistically, if you look at the chances that he created in that first half,
07:18 passes to Philippe Coutinho, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Barcelona really at least should
07:23 have been level at halftime in the break.
07:24 They should not have lost that game full stop with the chances that Messi provided them.
07:28 Irrespective of that, there was also performances against Tottenham in the Champions League.
07:32 There was the home leg against Liverpool with that free kick, you know the one.
07:36 And of course, that quite frankly scarily good dink against Real Batista way, which
07:41 for me is probably in his top three goals ever.
07:43 I don't know about you, but just the audacity to attempt that was on another level.
07:47 This was also the year that Messi got his record sixth Ballon d'Or, separating him
07:51 apart from the rest and making sure that he is the best.
07:54 And also 2019 was Messi's last La Liga title with Barcelona, which is significant but sad
07:59 because it really painted a picture of the sorry state of affairs the club was in after,
08:04 pretty much after Neymar left and when Bartomeu was in charge.
08:09 But we could do a whole video on that to be honest.
08:11 But Messi still carried them on his back for two more years.
08:13 Okey dokey, in at number three, I mean any of them could win it at this point, but I've
08:17 gone for 2015.
08:19 Now the reason being he won five trophies in this year.
08:22 The UEFA Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey, European Super Cup and the Club World
08:28 Cup as well.
08:29 Not bad, especially when you're playing from a deeper role while still being part of that
08:33 MSN trio.
08:34 He was predominantly on the right hand side, but this is really where he started to drop
08:37 back into midfield and sort of tick with Xavi and Iesta Busquets even more than he was doing
08:41 in that Pep Guardiola and Tata Martino system.
08:44 So under Luis Enrique, he still hugged the touchline.
08:47 You remember that very famous goal in the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao,
08:52 which is probably his best goal ever, truth be told.
08:55 2015 also belonged to one of Messi's most iconic games, I'm sure you'll remember it,
08:59 that home leg against Bayern Munich in the semi-final of the Champions League.
09:03 He sort of just came to life, didn't he?
09:05 There was not much going on in the game, a little bit of a stalemate, both teams obviously
09:09 playing fairly conservatively and not wanting to concede given the stakes of the game.
09:13 And then he just did what he does, he came to life.
09:16 Jinxed inside, beat Neuer and then decided to, I don't know how to put this politely,
09:22 retire Jerome Boateng and then dink a prime Manuel Neuer on his weak foot.
09:27 I mean, it doesn't get much better than that.
09:29 So for the amount of iconic moments in this year, for the fact that he was part of that
09:32 famous MSN trio, which was the best front three he was ever a part of categorically,
09:36 undisputably, it has to go in at number three.
09:40 And this could be argued as Messi's prime, it depends what you value in a footballer,
09:44 how unplayable you think he was as opposed to other years, because obviously we've seen
09:47 him be a slightly better goal scorer than he was this year.
09:50 But as an all-rounded player and an all-rounded version of Lionel Messi, I don't think it
09:55 gets much better than 2015 to be honest.
09:58 Number two is of course then 2011, another year Barcelona won the treble and a year where
10:04 Messi was good at football again.
10:07 59 goals and 37 assists in 2011, playing as a centre-forward false nine.
10:13 That, oh my god.
10:15 I mean it gets better, it gets better in the year after but what is that?
10:19 What is that?
10:20 That is ridiculous.
10:21 And of course you'll all remember this year as the year where Sergio Busquets racked up
10:24 the assist of his career with that little layoff to Lionel at the Bernabeu.
10:28 Messi picked it up and had an easy finish from there really, beating 1, 2, 3, 4 and
10:33 then the goalkeeper.
10:35 Pretty standard stuff for the man.
10:36 I've also had to put this in at number two because this was probably the apex of Pep
10:41 Guardiola's Barcelona system.
10:43 It didn't get much better than this.
10:44 I think many people tout this as the best team of all time.
10:48 You go through it, Valdez, Abidal, Pique, Puyol, Dani Alves, that midfield trio which
10:53 was just... there's a genuine argument for that being the best midfield trio of all time.
10:58 You could just put those three in and no one else and it'd be an acceptable opinion.
11:02 And then Pedro, Messi and Villa just had the perfect balance of creativity and goal scoring
11:06 threat and movement as well.
11:08 It was really just the perfect team.
11:10 I don't think anyone could lay a glove on them.
11:12 So number one, you don't need me to tell you what it is, it is of course 2012 and you also
11:18 know why.
11:19 91 goals in a calendar year.
11:23 91.
11:25 The previous record was held by Gerd Müller of course with 85 in 1972 and Messi took it
11:30 upon himself to not only beat it but just, you know, add six more on top just so no one
11:34 else can get there really.
11:36 Just because he can.
11:37 That year he averaged 65 minutes per goal and averaged 1.3 goals per game.
11:43 Just absolutely ludicrous.
11:45 Add 22 assists on top of that as well and you have 113 goals and assists in a calendar
11:51 year which is the best of any footballer ever.
11:53 So how could this not be number one?
11:56 Just because of the sheer magnitude of what he was doing statistically, let alone on the
12:00 eye test.
12:01 Another reason why I had to put this number one is this was probably the height of the
12:04 Messi-Ronaldo debate at the time and also not just Ronaldo fans but football fans in
12:09 general could probably put forward a case that 2012 was also Ronaldo's best year in
12:14 football.
12:15 63 goals and 13 assists in 71 games is just inhuman in of itself but the level Messi reached
12:21 that year just made it insurmountable and Ronaldo then was unable to win the Ballon
12:26 d'Or that year in what was possibly his best year in the game.
12:29 In that year he scored 9 hat-tricks, 2 of them being 4 goal games and 1 of them being
12:33 that 5 goal game against Bayer Leverkusen alone.
12:37 And the only real, I guess the only real sort of thing he could hold against Messi in that
12:41 2012 year was that game at the Nou Camp against Chelsea which I'm sure you remember 2-0 up
12:47 against 10 men and somehow still lost the game.
12:50 We all remember it but I guess Messi had the last laugh because he did score more goals
12:56 than Chelsea in that calendar year.
12:58 So you know, basically I had to put it number 1 because the numbers are just that ridiculous
13:03 when compared to whole football clubs, other players at the top of their game.
13:07 It really is just the definition of superhuman.
13:11 Well there we go, that was my attempt I guess you could say at ranking Lionel Messi's Ballon
13:16 d'Ors from worst to best.
13:18 Not sure worst is really the right word to use truth be told because you know they were
13:22 all pretty good years, I certainly couldn't do it.
13:25 But I felt like the video was necessary because this will be the man's last Ballon d'Or and
13:30 just to pay a bit of homage to what has been a career like no other really.
13:35 I know he's not retired yet so I'll just say one more thing, enjoy it while you can.
13:39 You can let me know which of the Ballon d'Or winning years you thought was the best in
13:42 the comments below.
13:43 Don't forget to subscribe and I will see you very soon.
13:47 Bye bye!