SUMMARY
- Some players were just as deserving but failed to win the award by the barest of margins at certain stages of their careers.
- Robert Lewandowski's impressive stats have not been enough to date to win him the Ballon d'Or.
An award that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have majorly dominated since 2008 to date has seen a lot of winners since its inception. The prestigious award presented by France’s soccer federation every year has had a long list of winners over the years. However, the ones who never had the privilege of holding the prestigious Golden Ball are there in numbers.
Soccer has some of its greatest names to have graced the pitch who didn’t get the taste of winning this prestigious award. Some players were just as deserving but failed to win the award by the barest of margins at certain stages of their careers.
The sport has its fair share of ups and downs, and the names of some of the greatest players who were unlucky during their prime to have not won the prestigious award. Here’s a list of a few of soccer’s greatest names who missed out on winning the Ballon d’Or.
Robert Lewandowski
Widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of the modern era, Robert Lewandowski’s impressive stats have not been enough to date to win him the Ballon d’Or. The Polish international came even close to winning the prestigious award in the year 2020, but the ceremony was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lewandowski deserved 2020 and 2021 pic.twitter.com/hEFHDKHwxr
— halafly (@halafly_) January 2, 2024
The 2021 season saw Lewandowski score goals for fun, scoring a total of 69 goals for his club and country, breaking several records along the way. However, he narrowly missed out on the prize for Messi. Despite his continued success at Barcelona, it seems unlikely that Lewandowski will ever win the Ballon d’Or, especially as he is now in his mid-30s.
Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben’s consistency has been the key to his success over the years. Despite winning silverware almost every season and scoring and providing numerous assists in the process, it is surprising indeed to note that Robben could never finish higher than fourth in the Ballon d’Or rankings.
Arjen Robben 🔥🔥🔥
🗓️ 2013 UCL Final
⚽️ Scores the winning goal
🏆 Bayern crowned champions
🏅 Awarded Man of the Match🥳 Happy birthday, Robben! 🎈#UCL | @FCBayernEN | @ArjenRobben pic.twitter.com/x3wu4iT73r
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 23, 2019
The former Dutch winger went on to become the hero for Bayern Munich in the 2013 UEFA Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, where he scored the winning goal for the Bavarians. Despite that, for some reason, he was not able to receive the recognition he deserved.
Robben was an instrumental player in the success of the Netherlands during the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. He played a vital role in leading his team to the final in 2010 and helped them secure a third-place finish in 2014. Had the Netherlands emerged victorious in either of these tournaments, Robben would have been a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or award.
Neymar
Once regarded as a generational talent because of his sublime skills and precision, people had their money on Neymar winning multiple Ballon d’Or awards by now. However, the Brazilian couldn’t live up to the expectations, and he has only his injuries to blame for it.
This was actually peak Neymar.. the injuries stopped a UCL and Ballon D’or. https://t.co/97SJFTbGzA
— Parisian🇫🇷 (@parisianlord) January 6, 2024
At 31 years old, he has won numerous major honors and even broke Brazil’s record for most goals. However, despite being one of soccer’s biggest ballers and playing for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, it appears that he is unlikely to ever win the most prestigious individual award.
Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez was a standout performer in the 2013/2014 Premier League season for Liverpool. He was so impressive that he deserved to win the Ballon d’Or. Even after he moved to Barcelona, where he played alongside Messi, he continued to be one of the best players on the pitch at times.
Luis Suarez – Liverpool Dayspic.twitter.com/QVY9x5KNWB
— 🧎🏽 (@_wingplay) January 6, 2024
Unfortunately, playing alongside Messi meant that his chances of winning individual awards were reduced. When Liverpool narrowly missed out on the Premier League title, Suarez was at his peak but missed his best opportunity to win a major individual accolade.
Thierry Henry
One topic that almost all Premier League fans can agree on is that Thierry Henry is one of the greatest soccer players of all time. He was an unstoppable force in his prime, possessing every quality a player could dream of. With his incredible pace and superior skills, he regularly tore apart Premier League defenses during the early 21st century.
— KD (@KDesigns__) October 25, 2022
However, despite being one of the fan favorites during the early 2000s and being part of the invincible season for Arsenal, the French icon failed to win the prestigious award. In fact, in 2003, Henry had a remarkable season, scoring 32 goals and achieving 28 assists for Arsenal. Despite these incredible numbers, he finished second to Pavel Nedved and missed out on winning the prize.
Paolo Maldini
Regarded as the greatest defender of all time, Italian great Paolo Maldini has never won a single Ballon d’Or in his 25-year professional career at AC Milan. Despite finishing third in 1994 and 2003, he never managed to win it.
However, that didn’t stop him from tasting success for his club, as he won five Champions League titles and seven Serie A championships.
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp, one of the most exciting players to watch, was nominated twice for the Ballon d’Or award. He gained international recognition in 1992 when he finished third behind Hristo Stoichkov, the Barcelona striker, and Marco van Basten, the three-time winner, due to his exceptional goal-scoring ability for Ajax.
Bergkamp, who had an outstanding first touch, is considered one of the greatest players to have never won the Ballon d’Or award. He enjoyed a successful period at Arsenal, where he formed an excellent attacking partnership with Thierry Henry. His goal against Newcastle is frequently cited as the greatest-ever Premier League goal.
However, despite his achievements, Bergkamp never managed to win the Ballon d’Or award. Later in his career, he won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, and several individual awards.
Andres Iniesta
Andres Iniesta was an incredibly talented central midfielder who stood out among his peers. As a Barcelona legend, he had a unique ability to spot passes that no one else could, and his technical skills were arguably the best of any player in the last two decades.
Unquestionably, the most important goal of Iniesta’s career. The winning goal in the final of 2010 World Cup. 🔥🇪🇸pic.twitter.com/fcSFdPBCDL
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) May 11, 2023
In 2010, Iniesta became Spain’s World Cup hero after netting the winner in the final against the Dutch side. Throughout his career, he has won numerous accolades, except for the Ballon d’Or. In 2010, he finished second to Lionel Messi, and in 2012, he finished third behind Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
