In this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, many of the winners were as expected. Lionel Messi claimed his eighth title. His rival, Erling Haaland had to settle for the Gerd Muller Trophy. For sure, it was quite a close call this time. Days ago, Pep Guardiola‘s sneaky request to give away 2 Ballon d’Ors was quite a funny response too. However, one particular award caused a lot of visible confusion both among the players and the fans. In fact, a teammate of Neymar, who was in the running for this award, did not hold back his criticism after the decision.

However, these awards have always had an element of controversy in them. Perhaps none more controversial than the 2013 Ballon d’Or when Frank Ribery finished 3rd despite leading Bayern Munich to a historic treble. Soccer players have very few chances to win prestigious awards and just like Ribery, it is understandable why the Al-Hilal star lashed out last night.

A teammate of Neymar values team success over Ballon d’Or after getting snubbed

Neymar might have been Al Hilal’s star signing. However, another player is proving to be a shrewd bit of business. Yassine Bounou was also a star at the FIFA World Cup. His exploits led to Morocco reaching the World Cup semis for the first time in history. Despite his performances, he finished third in the Yashin Trophy which Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez won. Although disappointed, Bounou took a major shot at the Ballon d’Or and the other awards. He said, “Serving my Al Hilal team is worth more than world awards“.

Quite a strong statement from the Al Hilal goalie. However, a good part of the soccer universe was also left bemused by the awards winners from last night. Weirdly, in spite of his snub, Bounou finished 13th in the Ballon d’Or rankings, ahead of Emiliano Martinez (15th). All of this once again brings up the question, ‘Are individual awards necessary in a team sport?’.

Ballon d’Or- A case of prestige but is it really necessary?

A few days ago, Real Madrid icon Toni Kroos in his Einfach mal Luppen podcast, stated his eye-opening views on individual accolades in soccer. He mentioned that they are unimportant. Despite playing for a club that has seen Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, and Karim Benzema achieve the accolade, Kroos has an unpopular but interesting take. He said, “My opinion is that individual awards are unnecessary in a team sport. I’ve always said that & I stand by that”.

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He continued, “No single player would have won anything on their own“. Being one of the most decorated players in history, Kroos does know a lot about soccer. However, while every player strives for their respective team to win the competition, an individual accolade would be quite a memorable addition to the trophy cabinet, wouldn’t it? Do you agree with Yassine Bounou finishing 3rd in the Yashin Trophy? Let us know in the comments below.

Watch this story: Why Didn’t Erling Haaland Win the Ballon d’Or in 2023, Despite European Treble & Golden Boot?