Ballon d’Or: Xavi Hernandez Speaks on Lionel Messi Beating Andres Iniesta to the 2010 Prize

• Lionel Messi recently claimed a record-extending eight Ballon d'Or award
• A few of the Argentine's prize has often divided opinions among many
• Barcelona's Xavi Hernandez has opened up on the 2010 award won by Messi

Lionel Messi's outstanding performance during the 2022 FIFA World Cup once again played a crucial role in him securing football's most prestigious individual honour, the Ballon d'Or.

The 36-year-old Argentine maestro outperformed Manchester City's Erling Haaland and his former teammate Kylian Mbappe to claim the award for the eighth time.

According to reports from Goal, Messi now holds the record for the most Ballon d'Or awards won by an individual.

Nonetheless, some questions have arisen regarding a few of the Ballon d'Or awards that the Inter Miami captain has received.

There has been widespread speculation that a few of his Ballon d'Or accolades were granted to him due to strong sentiments rather than purely based on merit.

A list of Champions League winners who also won the Ballon d’Or

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One such instance is the 2010 award, which many believed was undeservedly given to Messi. A significant portion of the football community felt that the Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta, who had an exceptional season with both his club, Barcelona, and the national team, Spain, should have been named the winner of the Ballon d'Or.

Interestingly, Barcelona's coach, Xavi Hernandez, who was teammates with both Messi and Iniesta, shared his perspective on Messi winning the Ballon d'Or over Iniesta.

Xavi on Messi winning Ballon d'Or over Iniesta

During his media chat ahead of his team's match against Real Sociedad at the Reale Arena, Xavi took time to address the issue of the Ballond'Or.

When asked about his thoughts on Iniesta not winning the 2010 Ballon d'Or, and he stated (as quoted by Managing Barca),

"Iniesta not winning the Ballon d'Or in 2010? It's all about the voting. In that 2010 team, there were many players who received votes, like Iniesta, myself, Villa, Ramos, Pique, Puyol. I've always maintained that Messi deserved to win."

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Xavi's comments have stirred some controversy, eliciting mixed reactions among football enthusiasts.

Notably, his perspective appears to differ from Iniesta's, who chose a more diplomatic response when asked about the same topic in an interview, as reported by the Spanish outlet Sport.

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Xavi speaks on Vinicius incident

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has revealed details about his encounter with Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior during the first showdown of the 2023-2024 El Clasico.

The intense match unfolded at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Saturday, October 28, as Madrid grabbed all three points and bragging rights at stake, completing a 2-1 comeback victory against their fierce rivals.

As the Brazilian attacker prepared to make a move for a threaded pass, defender Ronald Araujo forcefully pushed him off the field, prompting frustration from Vinicius.