Pep Guardiola names 2 players Lionel Messi blocked from winning the Ballon d'Or

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Pep Guardiola believes Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta deserved to triumph the Ballon d’Or successful their careers
Lionel Messi’s dominance overshadowed the Spanish duo's chances during Barcelona’s aureate era
Guardiola says Rodri’s 2024 Ballon d'Or is simply a long-overdue reward for Spanish football

Pep Guardiola has voiced his content that 2 of his erstwhile midfield maestros were denied Ballon d'Or designation during their primes owed to Lionel Messi’s era-defining dominance.

Speaking successful airy of Rodri’s 2024 Ballon d’Or win, Guardiola looked backmost connected what helium described arsenic an overdue acknowledgement of Spanish football excellence.

Guardiola, who managed Barcelona betwixt 2008 and 2012, oversaw 1 of the astir ascendant nine sides successful shot history, winning the Champions League doubly with the Spanish club.

At the bosom of his all-conquering Barcelona squad was a midfield trio of Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets.

Despite their instrumental roles successful Barcelona’s occurrence and Spain’s 2010 World Cup win, neither Xavi nor Iniesta ever claimed the sport’s astir prestigious idiosyncratic honour, the Ballon d’Or, arsenic seen connected BR Football.

Guardiola speaks connected Messi’s dominance

Speaking astir the trouble of breaking done the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly, Manchester City manager Guardiola said that Messi and Ronaldo blocked Xavi and Iniesta’s greatness, GiveMeSport reports.

“Cristiano was a monster, and the begetter of the monster is Messi. Both person done thing unthinkable successful the past 15 oregon 20 years. Maybe successful that moment, Xavi and Iniesta deserved the Ballon d’Or arsenic well.”

In 2010, Messi won the Ballon d'Or, edging retired his Barcelona teammates Xavi and Iniesta contempt Spain’s historical World Cup triumph.

While the determination was debated, Messi’s unthinkable stats and consistency during that play often near small country for others, adjacent those arsenic technically talented and tactically captious arsenic the Spanish midfield pair.

Rodri's triumph is simply a redemption for Spain

Fast guardant to 2024, Spanish midfielder Rodri claimed the Ballon d’Or aft a stellar play with Manchester City, wherever helium played a cardinal relation successful their treble-winning campaign.

Lionel Messi, Pep Guardiola, Ballon d'Or

Guardiola acknowledged the value of Rodri’s triumph not conscionable for the subordinate but for Spanish shot arsenic a whole.

The treble-winning Champions League manager noted that Rodri got what Spanish shot deserved worldwide, indicating the midfielder’s grant whitethorn successful immoderate mode symbolically correspond what Xavi and Iniesta missed retired connected years ago.

While Xavi and Iniesta whitethorn ne'er person won the Ballon d’Or, their bequest remains untarnished, and Guardiola’s praise adds further value to their iconic presumption successful the game.

Spain could yet observe back-to-back Ballon d’Or wins arsenic Barcelona duo Pedri and Lamine Yamal are present successful the spotlight and frontrunners for the 2025 grant aft a stellar play with the Catalan giants.

Yamal reacts to Messi’s comparisons

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Barcelona youngster, Lamine Yamal, has reacted aft helium was compared with the nine Legend Lionel Messi.

At conscionable 17, Yamal has go a cardinal subordinate of the Barcelona archetypal team, playing connected the close flank, wherever Messi played.

"I don't comparison myself to him, due to the fact that I don't comparison myself to anyone -- and overmuch little with Messi,” Yamal said earlier Barcelona’s Champions League semifinal archetypal limb against Inter Milan.

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Source: Legit.ng

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