'I could have become like Messi or Ronaldo -- I simply didn't feel like it'
Sneijder says he could have been as good as the pair if he tried harder
Wesley Sneijder was an excellent footballer. He proved so at Ajax, Real Madrid and Inter Milan, where he won the treble under Jose Mourinho.
There's a good argument that the year of the treble, when he also helped Holland to a World Cup final, which they lost to Spain, he should have won the Ballon d'Or, although the competition was tough (Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi made up the podium).
But could he have reached the same levels as Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo? He thinks he could have.
"I could have become like Messi or Ronaldo. I simply didn't feel like it." Sneijder told the Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.
"I enjoyed my life, maybe I had a glass (of wine) at dinner. Leo and Cristiano are different, they have made many sacrifices. And that's fine with me, my career however, was still amazing."
Sneijder retired in 2019 and since then has worked for Ajax's academy.
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