the 14 best players who never won the Ballon d’Or

ballon d’Or winner, soccer legend, Pele, Maradona, Iniesta, Maldini

pele

a soccer icon who won three World Cups and scored more than 1,000 goals. never won the Ballon d’Or due to a rule that only European players could win it, but was awarded an honorary Ballon d’Or in 2014

diego Maradona

winner of the 1986 World Cup, Napoli legend. like Pele, never won the award as non-European players were ineligible at the time

ferenc Puskás

legendary Hungarian and Real Madrid goalkeeper. dominated European soccer in the 1950s and 60s, but his heyday was before the Ballon d’Or was established, so he never won the award

andres Iniesta

2010 World Cup final goal, midfield commander for Barcelona and the Spanish national team. missed out on the Ballon d’Or in the age of Messi and Ronaldo

xavi Hernández

the brains behind Barcelona and Spain’s golden era. nominated for the Ballon d’Or from 2009-2011, but failed to win it

paolo Maldini

AC Milan and Italy defensive legend. best finish was third in 1994 and 2003. despite his longevity and trophies, he never won the award

thierry Henry

arsenal icon, key striker for the French national team. never won the Ballon d’Or, despite finishing second in 2003 and winning the European Golden Shoe in 2004

robert Lewandowski

award ceremony canceled due to the pandemic in 2020 and lost out to Messi in 2021. had one of his best seasons with Bayern Munich, scoring 55 goals and winning the Champions League, but was unlucky not to win the title

zico

legendary Brazilian playmaker. never won the Ballon d’Or at a time when only European players could win the award due to his long career in South America

francesco Totti

AS Roma one-club man, Serie A champion and World Cup winner, but never won the Ballon d’Or

david Beckham

runner-up in 1999, star of the Manchester United treble. global icon but never won the Ballon d’Or

frank Rijkaard

legendary midfielder for the Netherlands and AC Milan. dominated Europe alongside van Basten and Gullit, but won fewer individual awards than his teammates

neymar

brazil’s all-time leading scorer, won numerous trophies with Barcelona and PSG, but was overshadowed by the Messi and Ronaldo era and never won the Ballon d’Or

gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo, Michael Laudrup, Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Wayne Rooney, Sergio Ramos, and countless other legends have never lifted the Ballon d’Or, whether it’s because of the times, the limitations of the rules, or the dominance of the Messi-Ronaldo duo.