Lionel Messi of Barcelona has had a successful individual year in 2019 by winning a record sixth Ballon d’Or. Which is still disturbing his opponents for the award, Virgil van Dijk and Christiano Ronaldo. And not the only award the Argentine won this year.
In addition to the Ballon d’Or, the Barca expert also won the European Golden Shoe, FIFA’s The Best award, and IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker award. He makes the history of the first player to win the four great awards in a year.
However, no player had once won all the four awards in a single year. That’s even when the Ballon d’Or and The Best used to be a combined prize. No one has the combined FIFA Ballon d’Or plus the Golden Shoe and Best Playmaker awards.
Real Madrid Luka Modric getting close last season, with winning the Best Playmaker award, The Best and the Ballon d’Or. However, he only had three league goals for that season, really far away from winning the Golden Shoe award. In relation to this, Messi had the win with 34 goals.
Ricardo Kaka, AC Milan player then, nearly got it. Winning the second edition of the Best Playmaker award. Along with the Ballon d’Or, and the FIFA World Player of the Year (a forerunner to The Best.) However, he did not get the Golden Shoe, having scoring 8 goals to the then AS Roma’s Francesco Totti. Having 26 goals for his club.
Cristiano Ronaldo has always been the most competitive counterpart to the Barca star, Messi. In 2008, he came very close winning the Ballon d’Or, the Golden Shoe. And the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Meanwhile, he did not win the Best Playmaker award, finishing second to Xavi of then Barcelona.
Ronaldo would have had another near-miss in 2014. But he was a joint winner with Luis Suárez for the Golden Shoe and won the combined Ballon d’Or. However he did not earn the Best Playmaker award, which his teammate Toni Kroos won.
Even, Messi himself has once been close in 2010. When he won the Golden Shoe and the blended Ballon d’Or, but Xavi won the Best Playmaker award with Messi.
Additionally, in 2012, he tries getting two, Golden Shoe and combined Ballon d’Or. While Leo won the combined Ballon d’Or and for the first time the Best Playmaker award in 2015. But his five goals short obtain Ronaldo the Golden Shoe.
Subsequently, Leo Messi has record three of the last four Best Playmaker awards and three of the last four Golden Shoes. The Barcelona talisman now breaks the his own record as well as other football legends. As he earns the four prestigious awards having The Best and the Ballon d’Or in the same year.
