The England star’s campaign ended in heartbreak, but he needs to be recognised for a historic season
After 16 years of scarcely broken dominance, barring a major miracle, neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi will ever win the Ballon d’Or ever again. Last year represented a misty-eyed victory lap for this era, with Messi’s 2022 World Cup triumph earning him a final taste of world football’s greatest individual prize.