Just a handful of players have dominated the sport for over a decade without skipping a beat. However, soccer in the late 2000s saw the rise of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the two players constantly tangled each other for the throne. The two icons have established themselves as household names in the past fifteen years, bagging accolades left, right, and center. However, despite the cordial relationship, none of the two players have ever voted for the other during the Ballon d’Or awards.

The Ballon d’Or award is decided by votes via journalists. The award sees hundreds of journalists from the Top 100 countries in the world vote for their top three picks. However, there was a brief span of six years where the France Football Association worked alongside FIFA to host the Ballon d’Or. During the tenure, national team captains, coaches, and media members could vote for their pick.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo never voted for each other!

La Pulga and Cristiano Ronaldo shared an intense rivalry during their respective prime. The two players were constantly up against each other, contesting for the coveted Ballon d’Or throughout the 2010s. However, it seems like their rivalry did not end on the field. In fact, the two players always wanted to stay a step ahead and never voted for the other during the Ballon d’Or awards.

FIFA and France Football came together in 2010 to co-host the prestigious awards. The partnership lasted until 2016, with both parties going their separate ways. However, these six years apart from journalists also saw players vote for their pick to win the award. With the publicly accessible votes, they have unveiled that neither Messi nor Ronaldo ever cast a vote for one another.

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Lionel Messi Ballon d’Or votes:

2010: Didn’t vote, 2011: Xavi, Iniesta, Aguero | 2012: Iniesta, Xavi, Aguero | 2013: Iniesta, Xavi, Neymar | 2014: Di Maria, Iniesta, Mascherano | 2015: Suarez, Neymar, Iniesta

Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or votes:

2010: Xavi, Casillas, Sneijder | 2011: Did not vote | 2012: Did not vote | 2013: Falcao, Bale, Ozil | 2014: Ramos, Bale, Benzema | 2015: Benzema James, Bale

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While there could be many reasons why the two never voted for each other, we can narrow the situation down to two factors based on their votes. Messi and Ronaldo were up against each other five out of 6 times during 2010-2015. With the two players keen on winning the award, voting for their rival would have given them an additional advantage. Apart from their rivalry, their voting suggests that the duo often picked their teammates for the award in what could be a cordial gesture.

The rivalry that defined an era

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo defined the 2010s soccer picture with their constant rivalry. The two were up against each other eight times from 2010 to 2019, finishing in the top three positions in the Ballon d’Or rankings. Apart from their rivalry, the decade saw two finish at the podium for a record nine out of ten times.

During these eight times, Ronaldo and Messi bagged the award four times each. However, Messi edged over his rival as he bagged one additional title in 2010, pipping fellow teammates, Andreas Iniesta and Xavi. Over the years, Messi has long surpassed his rival in the race. La Pulga bagged seven Ballon d’Or awards, while Cristiano stands at five.

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Messi will make history tonight as he is in pole position to lift his 8th title. However, despite the margin, fans are still divided while picking who will go down in history as the G.O.A.T? Who do you think is the greatest soccer player of all time? Let us know in the comments below.