Former Inter Milan attacking midfielder Wesley Sneijder won the UEFA Champions League title with the Seria A club. The 39-year-old was an integral part of the Inter Milan team for a period between 2010 to 2012. He was a prominent feature in the starting eleven of the Italian club.
However, a recent report by ‘EuroFoot’ on ‘X’, revealed the thoughts of Wesley Sneijder regarding his losing out to Barcelona’s Lionel Messi in the 2010 Ballon d’Or race. The Argentina number 10, Messi then played for the La Liga giants Barcelona.
The former Inter Milan player asserted- “It was a little unfair that I didn’t win the 2010 Ballon d’Or and Messi did”. He further expressed- “But I’m not a guy who cries about that”. The Dutch player also inflicted – “I prefer to win collective trophies” signifying the Ballon d’Or as an individual accolade.
🇳🇱🗣️ Wesley Sneijder: “It was a little unfair that I didn’t win the 2010 Ballon d’Or and Messi did.”
“But, I’m not a guy who cries about that. The Ballon d’Or is an individual award, and I prefer to win collective trophies.”
“If I had to choose between the Champions League… pic.twitter.com/RBHxBojQ1A
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) December 6, 2023
The Inter Milan fame player also reflected upon the Champions League he won with Inter Miami. “If I had to choose between the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or, I would choose the Champions League I won”, Wesley stated.
The Dutch veteran further inflicted that finding himself in the finals of the Ballon d’Or “was a wonderful achievement”, which he also “dreamed of” in his career. However, the 39-year-old insisted that he is “heartbroken” to have not won it.
Other than his club career, Wesley Sneijder also played a decent number of matches for his country. The attacking midfielder played a total of 134 matches for the Netherlands. In addition to contribution as a midfielder, he also netted 31 goals for the Dutch national team.
Wesley Sneijder on outreaching the same levels as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
In a statement given to ‘Fox Sports NL’ the former Dutch player asserted that he could have strided to the same levels as Portugal’s icon Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina’s veteran Lionel Messi if he had bolstered greater commitment. The player reflected his thoughts on where he fell short in that regard.
The former Seria A midfielder expressed- “I have to be honest and admit that I could have been mentioned in the same breath as Messi and Ronaldo”. He further stated- “If I had been 100 percent committed”, talking about the levels of his commitment.
Wesley also inflicted that although he knows the fact, he has “no regrets” now. “It’s not that I didn’t have it in me, but I simply didn’t want to do it”, pressing on his point, the 39-year-old reflected.
It can be figured from the veteran player’s statements that, although there is a hidden desire to be known alongside names like CR7 and Leo, he is more than happy with what he achieved in his career.