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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00:00Hello everybody, Adam here again from 442.
00:09Now if you've not been following the news this week, then you might not have heard that
00:12Mr Lionel Messi, right there, won the Ballon d'Or again.
00:16What?
00:17What?
00:18Nah, I never knew that, I never knew that.
00:22Yeah, I mean, it was no surprise really, because Fabrizio Romano decided to tell us all a week
00:27ago.
00:29No one was really shocked, but the debate has obviously been, whether it should have
00:32been him, or whether it should have been Erling Haaland, or perhaps someone else, Kylian Mbappe
00:36perhaps.
00:37I don't want to really get into that, because at the end of the day, it is a little bit
00:42tedious, they're all very good players, and Lionel Messi is the best player I have ever
00:45seen in my life, so him winning the award off the back of a World Cup, for me, is not
00:50the end of the world.
00:51So I thought, why not do something a little bit different, and rank all of Messi's eight
00:55Ballon d'Or wins, from season to season, based on the achievements he got in that year,
01:00as well as the goals he scored, his general play, just how good he was, and which ones
01:05were the most significant in his journey.
01:08So yeah, let's have a go at it.
01:10So in at number eight, and his worst of the eight Ballon d'Ors, I've gone for 2021.
01:16That was the year where he scored 43 goals, and won the Copa America for Argentina, which
01:21was of course, a very, very significant moment.
01:24Of course, they didn't win international trophies under Lionel Messi, other than the
01:27Olympic Games, if you want to count that, but I don't, personally.
01:31He did win the Copa America in 2021, which was a seismic moment for his career, because
01:36people had always doubted him on the international stage.
01:39Obviously, you remember in 2016, he actually retired from the Argentinian national team,
01:44and then obviously came back when they were like, mate, we need you.
01:48But he returned, and he returned in style, winning the Copa America, but I've put it
01:53at eighth, because Emi Martinez also played a massive part in that Copa America win, with
01:57the shootout save against Colombia, and other amazing saves.
02:00I mean, he's a fantastic goalkeeper, full stop.
02:02And also, 2020 and 2021, as everyone watching this video will know, it was just a weird
02:08period of history in general, and life in general, but also football in history.
02:13I mean, the games behind closed doors.
02:15So I feel like the validity of any competition that was won in that year is like, slightly,
02:20slightly, slightly, not tarnished, but just like, not as impressive as the years where
02:26it was played in front of fans.
02:28And of course, as well, he did leave Barcelona in 2021 as well, which was the end of an era,
02:33a very sad and an unfitting ending for Messi, really, after what he did in a Barcelona shirt.
02:38So for all those things intertwined, it was nice for him to win that Ballon d'Or in 2021
02:42with the Copa America.
02:43But I think out of the eight, it was his worst one, probably.
02:47But, you know, I'd still take it if I was him.
02:50Okay, in at number seven, I've gone for this year, 2023, the one that has just gone and
02:54the one where people were saying it was a robbery, it was this, Haaland should have
02:57won it, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh.
02:59Look, end of the day, he still won the World Cup, which is better than the Copa America.
03:03And he got 46 goals and assists in all competitions throughout the calendar year,
03:08which is still very impressive for a 35-year-old who's now playing a deeper role in the pitch.
03:13He's not as advanced as he used to be in the old Barcelona teams, the Pep Guardiola teams,
03:17playing right wing, centre forward, you name it.
03:19He plays a deep line role now, and obviously at PSG, that worked really well finding Mbappe
03:24over with those floated balls.
03:26But listen, in the World Cup, he was a man mounting, and he did carry them in certain
03:31games.
03:31I remember the Netherlands game where he played that defence-splitting pass through Nathan
03:35Ake's legs, scored the penalty, and he felt like a bit of a new man this year.
03:38He was giving a bit of stick to Louis van Gaal, he called Weghorst a...
03:50Yeah, a bobo, which means a fool or an idiot, I believe, in English.
03:54But yeah, very unlike Messi when people used to characterise him as a quiet man.
03:58But regardless, a seismic year for him and one that really capped off his career in the
04:03perfect fashion, really.
04:04It was a perfect ending for him, cemented his status as the GOAT.
04:08I mean, I personally think it was cemented anyway.
04:12You know, it was probably cemented in about 2012, to be honest, but we'll get onto that
04:16later on.
04:17All right then, in at number six, I've gone for 2009, which was his first of all eight
04:22Ballon d'Ors.
04:23And of course, we remember this as the year where he won his...
04:26Well, not his first Champions League, technically, because he did get a medal in 2006, but his
04:31first Champions League, where he was a mainstay in the team, playing under Pep Guardiola,
04:35that treble-winning side, and playing from the right wing as well.
04:38Aged just 21, he got 41 goals from right wing that season, which is ridiculous.
04:47You think about the numbers that modern-day wingers put up from wide positions, no one
04:51can really compete with him.
04:52And of course, 2009 was the year of that famous game in Rome against Manchester United, which
04:57really birthed the Messi and Ronaldo era.
04:59So that had so much significance for the next 10 years of football that it definitely ranks
05:04middle of the list, I would say.
05:05We know Ronaldo was going to move to Real Madrid anyway, had Manchester United won that
05:09final.
05:10But listen, it set the precedent then.
05:12You had Ronaldo who won that Ballon d'Or in 08, then Messi in 09, and then we didn't see
05:16another winner until 10 years later with Luka Modric in 2018, which is just ridiculous.
05:22Alright then, in at number 5, this is where it gets really tricky.
05:24I've gone for 2010 next.
05:27Now, let's have a look at what he did that year.
05:29So this was obviously the famous year where Zlatan Ibrahimović signed for Barcelona and
05:33was playing under Pep Guardiola.
05:35I'll say playing, he only played a handful of games before Messi then moved to centre
05:39forward, and there was a bit of a rift there, obviously.
05:41Very, very well documented in the past, but he started playing centre forward.
05:44And from scoring 41 goals at right wing the season before, he then scored 58 from centre
05:49forward that season.
05:51And it's when people were really like, oh my god, he is good.
05:55This was also a massive year for Messi because it was really the year where people started
05:59to discuss him as potentially the best player that's ever played football at the age of
06:0322, which is ridiculous.
06:05You might remember around February to March period of 2010, Barcelona played Arsenal at
06:10the Nou Camp and Messi scored four goals.
06:13One was a long shot from range on his left foot, then one on his right foot from close
06:16range, a rebounded shot, and then a solo one-on-one that was chipped over Almunia into the back
06:21of the net and then a solo goal driving through the heart of Arsenal's defence.
06:25Jinx in one way, go in the other, pass for Marlon and burying it through Almunia's legs.
06:29And it really was probably the first performance where people were really having to say what
06:36they saw.
06:37They could no longer pretend that, you know, it was offensive to compare this man to the
06:42likes of Pele and Maradona and Johan Cruyff.
06:44That's when people really started to do it.
06:46And then also in March of 2010, Barcelona went away to Real Zaragoza.
06:51Why are you talking like that?
06:52You're from Stockport, Adam.
06:53Stop it.
06:54Anyway, Barcelona won that game 4-2 and Lionel Messi scored another hat-trick after the Arsenal
06:59game and very generously gifted a penalty to Zlatan Ibrahimovic after winning it.
07:03He basically dragged the whole team on his back in that game, as good as they were.
07:07In at number four, I've gone for 2019.
07:10A lot of people really like to say that he ghosted that second leg at Anfield in that
07:14year, but realistically, if you look at the chances that he created in that first half,
07:17passes to Filipe Coutinho, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Barcelona really at least should have
07:23been level at halftime in the break.
07:24They should not have lost that game full stop with the chances that Messi provided them.
07:28Irrespective of that, there was also performances against Tottenham in the Champions League.
07:32There was the home leg against Liverpool with that free kick.
07:35You know the one.
07:36And of course, that quite frankly scarily good dink against Real Betis away, which for
07:41me is probably in his top three goals ever.
07:43I don't know about you, but just the audacity to attempt that was on another level.
07:47This was also the year that Messi got his record sixth Ballon d'Or, separating him apart
07:51from the rest and making sure that he is the best.
07:54And also 2019 was Messi's last La Liga title with Barcelona, which is significant but sad
07:59because it really painted a picture of the sorry state of affairs the club was in pretty
08:05much after Neymar left and when Bartomeu was in charge, but we could do a whole video
08:10on that to be honest.
08:11But Messi still carried them on his back for two more years.
08:13Okey dokey in at number three.
08:15I mean any of them could win it at this point, but I've gone for 2015.
08:19Now the reason being he won five trophies in this year, the UEFA Champions League, La
08:24Liga, Copa del Rey, European Super Cup and the Club World Cup as well.
08:28Not bad, especially when you're playing from a deeper role while still being part of that
08:32MSN trio.
08:33He was predominantly on the right hand side, but this is really where he started to drop
08:37back into midfield and sort of tick with Xabi Iniesta busquets even more than he was doing
08:41in that Pep Guardiola and Tata Martino system.
08:44So under Luis Enrique, he still hugged the touchline.
08:46You remember that very famous goal in the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao,
08:52which is probably his best goal ever, truth be told.
08:552015 also belonged to one of Messi's most iconic games.
08:58I'm sure you'll remember it, that home leg against Bayern Munich in the semi-final
09:02of the Champions League.
09:03He sort of just came to life, didn't he?
09:05There was not much going on in the game, a little bit of a stalemate.
09:07Both teams obviously playing fairly conservatively and not wanting to concede given the stakes
09:12of the game.
09:13And then he just did what he does.
09:15He came to life, jinxed inside, beat Neuer and then decided to, I don't know how to put
09:20this politely, retire Jerome Boateng and then dink a prime Manuel Neuer on his weak foot.
09:27I mean, it doesn't get much better than that.
09:29So for the amount of iconic moments in this year, for the fact that he was part of that
09:32famous MSN trio, which was the best front three he was ever a part of, categorically,
09:37undisputably, it has to go in at number three.
09:39And this could be argued as Messi's prime.
09:41It depends what you value in a footballer, how unplayable you think he was as opposed
09:46to other years, because obviously we've seen him be a slightly better goal scorer than
09:49he was this year.
09:50But as an all-rounded player and an all-rounded version of Lionel Messi, I don't think it
09:55gets much better than 2015, to be honest.
09:57Number two is, of course, then 2011.
10:01Another year Barcelona won the treble and a year where Messi was good at football again.
10:0759 goals and 37 assists in 2011, playing as a centre-forward false nine.
10:14Oh my God.
10:15I mean, it gets better.
10:15It gets better in the year after, but what is that?
10:19What is that?
10:20That is ridiculous.
10:21And of course, you'll all remember this year as the year where Sergio Busquets racked up
10:24the assist of his career with that little layoff to Lionel at the Bernabeu.
10:28Messi picked it up and had an easy finish from there, really.
10:31Beating 1-2-3-4 and then the goalkeeper.
10:35Pretty standard stuff for the man.
10:36I've also had to put this in at number two because this was probably the apex of Pep
10:41Guardiola's Barcelona system.
10:42It didn't get much better than this.
10:44I think many people tout this as the best team of all time.
10:48You go through it.
10:48Valdez, Abidal, Pique, Puyol, Dani Alves.
10:52That midfield trio, which was just...
10:55There's a genuine argument for that being the best midfield trio of all time.
10:58You could just put those three in and no one else and it'd be an acceptable opinion.
11:02And then Pedro, Messi and Villa just had the perfect balance of creativity and goal-scoring
11:06threat and movement as well.
11:08It was really just the perfect team.
11:10I don't think anyone could lay a glove on them.
11:12So, number one, you don't need me to tell you what it is.
11:14It is, of course, 2012.
11:17And you also know why.
11:1991 goals in a calendar year.
11:2391.
11:25The previous record was held by Gerd Muller, of course, with 85 in 1972.
11:30And Messi took it upon himself to not only beat it, but just, you know, add six more
11:33on top just so no one else can get there, really.
11:36Just because he can.
11:37That year he averaged 65 minutes per goal and averaged 1.3 goals per game.
11:43Just absolutely ludicrous.
11:46Add 22 assists on top of that as well and you have 113 goals and assists in a calendar
11:51year, which is the best of any footballer ever.
11:53So how could this not be number one?
11:55Just because of the sheer magnitude of what he was doing statistically, let alone on the
12:00eye test.
12:01Another reason why I had to put this number one is this was probably the height of the
12:04Messi-Ronaldo debate at the time.
12:07And also, not just Ronaldo fans, but football fans in general could probably put forward
12:11a case that 2012 was also Ronaldo's best year in football.
12:1663 goals and 13 assists in 71 games is just inhuman in of itself, but the level Messi
12:21reached that year just made it insurmountable.
12:24And Ronaldo then was unable to win the Ballon d'Or that year in what was possibly his
12:28best year in the game.
12:29In that year he scored nine hat-tricks, two of them being four-goal games and one of them
12:33being that five-goal game against Bayer Leverkusen alone.
12:37And the only real, I guess the only real sort of thing he could hold against Messi in that
12:412012 year was that game at the Nou Camp against Chelsea, which I'm sure you remember 2-0 up
12:47against 10 men and somehow still lost the game.
12:50We all remember it, but I guess Messi had the last laugh because he did score more goals
12:56than Chelsea in that calendar year.
12:58So, you know, basically I had to put it number one because the numbers are just that ridiculous
13:03when compared to whole football clubs, other players at the top of their game.
13:07It really is just the definition of superhuman.
13:11Well, there we go.
13:12That was my attempt, I guess you could say, at ranking Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Ors from
13:17worst to best.
13:18I'm not sure worst is really the right word to use, truth be told, because, you know,
13:22they were all pretty good years.
13:24I certainly couldn't do it, but I felt like the video was necessary because this will
13:27be the man's last Ballon d'Or.
13:30And, you know, just to pay a bit of homage to what has been a career like no other really.
13:35I know he's not retired yet, so I'll just say one more thing.
13:37Enjoy it while you can.
13:39You can let me know which of the Ballon d'Or winning years you thought was the best in
13:42the comments below.
13:43Don't forget to subscribe and I will see you very soon.
13:47Bye-bye.