FC Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta has finally revealed his true feelings after being snubbed for the 2010 Ballon d’Or award. Iniesta, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, is currently playing for Emirates Club. Previously, he spent around five seasons at Vissel Kobe after leaving FC Barcelona in 2018.
Andres Iniesta recently appeared in an interview with Sharjah Sports TV where he spoke at length about various subjects. The ex-FC Barcelona star also discussed Lionel Messi‘s controversial 2010 Ballon d’Or win. Back in 2010, FC Barcelona made history when three of their players- Messi, Iniesta, and Xavi- made the top three for the Ballon d’Or.
While Lionel Messi had an extraordinary goal-scoring season, both Xavi and Iniesta had won the World Cup in 2010 with Spain. Moreover, Iniesta was named the man of the match in the final and also scored the championship-winning goal. However, the soccer world was surprised to see that instead of Iniesta or Xavi, Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or.
🗣Andres Iniesta (Former Barca Player) :
“The Ballon D’or? I don’t think they make mistakes and in the case of 2010 whether it was me, Leo or Xavi, we all deserved to win it..Leo won it and for me he deserved it with the season he had” pic.twitter.com/4UsUeLZ1DA
— PSG Chief (@psg_chief) September 25, 2023
Speaking about the award, however, Iniesta has no hard feelings towards his former teammate. He said, “The Ballon d’Or? I don’t think they make mistakes and in the case of 2010, whether it was me, Leo, or Xavi, we all deserved to win it. Leo won it and for me, he deserved it with the season he had.” However, Iniesta did admit that he would have liked to win the Ballon d’Or at least once in his career.
Andres Iniesta was happy for Lionel Messi’s World Cup victory
Meanwhile, Andres Iniesta also talked about Lionel Messi’s memorable World Cup triumph in Qatar last year. Iniesta, who shared the pitch alongside Messi for more than a decade, has congratulated him on his World Cup win. He said, “I spoke with Messi during the World Cup. Of course, I was happy that he was doing well and eventually won it.“
The 39-year-old midfielder further added that Lionel Messi transmits happiness wherever he goes. However, for Iniesta, Messi’s World Cup victory hasn’t settled the GOAT debate. The ex-Vissel Kobe midfielder had earlier stated that even without the World Cup, Messi was still the best soccer player of all time. Speaking in an interview with ESPN, Iniesta called Argentina the worthy winner of the trophy.
Iniesta: “I spoke with Messi during the World Cup. Of course I was happy that he was doing well and eventually won it. With his ability and experience, he brings happiness wherever he goes.” pic.twitter.com/pDnlXqhOsU
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) September 23, 2023
He further attempted to take a swipe at Messi’s critics, saying that the debate won’t stop even after Messi’s triumph. Iniesta believes that Messi’s critics would continue to come up with an excuse to deny the claim that Messi is the GOAT.