In a revelation that threatens to tarnish one of football's most prestigious individual honours, Chelsea icon Didier Drogba has dropped a bombshell allegation about Lionel Messi's controversial 2010 Ballon d'Or victory.
The Ivorian striker, speaking on his official YouTube channel, claimed the award's voting process was manipulated, with the deadline extended to ensure the Argentine superstar clinched the title—a move he suggests was pre-meditated by the organisers.
The 2010 Controversy Revisited
The 2010 Ballon d'Or remains one of the most debated awards in football history. Many purists believed the honour should have gone to Spain's World Cup heroes, Wesley Sneijder—who also won the treble with Inter Milan—or Andrés Iniesta, rather than Messi, who had an exceptional individual season but fell short in the World Cup.
Drogba's explosive claim: "I think we are all convinced that Messi deserved it, but that year, in particular, it was going to be Iniesta or Sneijder. I even think that the voting was extended. I don't know if you remember, but the voting was extended so that Messi could win."
A Planned Victory?
The most damning part of Drogba's testimony is his assertion that the outcome was known in advance. He recounted a conversation from that year, stating, "I was at the Ballon d'Or ceremony. I was nominated. I remember that a journalist from France Football came to see me and said: 'Didier, don't worry about it, it's already planned.' I said: 'What do you mean, planned?' He said: 'It's already planned. It's Messi who's going to win.'"
This allegation, if proven true, would represent a seismic breach of trust in the integrity of the award, long considered the pinnacle of individual achievement in the sport.
Fallout and Legacy
Drogba's comments have sent shockwaves through the football community, prompting fans and pundits alike to re-examine one of the award's most contentious years. The claim raises serious questions about the transparency and fairness of voting processes in football's elite ceremonies.
While Messi's greatness is undisputed, with a record eight Ballon d'Or titles, this revelation about the 2010 award could cast a long shadow over his historic achievements and the legitimacy of the award itself.
