Is it possible that there was someone else who was more talented, competent or dedicated than you and deserved that internship even more than you but simply cou

Is it possible that there was someone else who was more talented, competent or dedicated than you and deserved that internship even more than you but simply couldn't afford working for free? I'm not making a value judgement here, I'm just pointing out the fact that free internships are not necessarily compatible with meritocracy.