Henry’s failure to secure the 2003 Ballon d’Or is frequently cited by fans as the biggest ‘robbery’ in football history, as the Arsenal legend outperformed the Juventus player in most metrics. ..Continue Reading
In 2024, during CBS’ Champions League coverage, Micah Richards echoed the sentiments of many fans by questioning why Henry lost out to Pavel Nedved.
Richards said: “2003. You had 32 goals and 28 assists that season. Nedved, who won it, had 14 goals and 17 assists.”
Henry said: “Look, you can’t debate opinions. When journalists are involved and have a vote, they vote for whoever they want.”
However, Zidane, who played alongside Henry at the international level and briefly at club level, did not choose the Frenchman when naming his most deserving player.
In January 2011, Lionel Messi was awarded the Ballon d’Or, finishing ahead of his Barcelona teammates Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
During the 2009/10 season, Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions – his highest single-season tally at the time – and helped Barcelona win La Liga with 99 points.
Nevertheless, many people felt that the award should have gone to World Cup winner Andres Iniesta, who scored the decisive goal in extra time to secure Spain’s first-ever World Cup title.
In 2018, ahead of Iniesta’s final El Clasico, Zidane expressed his belief that Iniesta should have won the 2010 Ballon d’Or instead of Messi.
“It is difficult because if you like football, seeing a player like him leave is tough,” said the Real Madrid boss. “I don’t think of him as a Barcelona player. I see him simply as a football player.
“I’ve come across him two or three times and he is a charming, very reserved man and I like players who can do everything on the field but are that calm off it.
“I only have good words for him, admiration for his football and I wish him the best as a player for the future but above all, as a person.”
He added: “We’re talking about someone who made everyone dream and he deserved to win the Ballon d’Or, especially in the year he won the World Cup. It was clear then that he deserved it.”
Iniesta finished second at the 2010 Ballon d’Or ceremony with an impressive 17.36 percent of the vote, trailing only Lionel Messi.
True to his character, Iniesta downplayed any sense of being ‘wronged’ by the outcome.
“Ballon d’Or? The image of Xavi, Leo, and me on the podium is bigger than me winning it,” he said.
“Three players from La Masia on the podium was the biggest prize, not who won it.”
