Top 10 Players With No Ballon D’Or
The famous Brazilian soccer player Neymar has followed the trend of elite players moving from Europe to Saudi Arabia. After they agreed a deal with Paris Saint-Germain, he recently signed a two-year contract with Al-Hilal. Neymar was enthusiastically unveiled by Al-Hilal, who disclosed that during his two-season tenure in Saudi Arabia, he may earn as much as $300 million.
Because the Ballon d'Or only takes into account players who are based in Europe, his prospects of being voted the best football player in the world have consequently decreased even further.
Best Players In The World With No Ballon D’Or
- Xavi Hernandez
- Andres Iniesta
- Neymar Jr
- Antoine Griezmann
- Thierry Henry
- Paolo Maldini
- Oliver Kahn
- Robert Lewandowski
- Luis Suarez
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic
1. Xavi Hernandez
Xavi Hernandez currently serves as the coach of FC Barcelona, the team he played for as a youth. He was a superb football player during his playing career. He led Barcelona to victory by managing their midfield for 17 of his 22 years as a player.
With numerous honors and trophies, he was a key contributor to Barcelona's triumph. Nevertheless, he was never the winner of the Ballon d'Or, finishing third each time Lionel Messi won between 2009 and 2011. The most entries for the Ballon d'Or, without a victory, come from Xavi.
2. Andres Iniesta
Andres Iniesta was impacted by Lionel Messi's dominance in the Ballon d'Or. Iniesta came in second in 2010 and 2012 but never took first place. Together with Xavi, he and the Spanish team triumphed, achieving greatness.
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They controlled international football. With FC Barcelona for 16 years, Iniesta won numerous honors, although he was never awarded the Ballon d'Or, probably as a result of Messi and Ronaldo's superiority. At 39, Iniesta joined Emirates, but his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or are bleak.
3. Neymar Jr
Unlike others, Neymar had the ability to win the Ballon d'Or. He is spending two years in Saudi Arabia. He was successful at Barcelona before setting a record when he moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. After finishing first and second in 2015 and 2017, Neymar is behind Messi and Ronaldo. But at 33, he may return to Europe and take home the Ballon d'Or, just as Benzema did at 35 the previous season.
4. Antoine Griezmann
32-year-old Antoine Griezmann has had a successful football career. With the exception of the UEFA Champions League, he nearly won it all. He made it to the top three of the Ballon d'Or twice.
He finished third in 2016 and 2018, with Modric and Ronaldo taking first place. His skills are still useful to Atletico Madrid and France, but his chances of winning the prize currently look remote.
5. Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry was replaced as this talk's face by Neymar. Henry was an excellent striker for Barcelona and Arsenal. He missed the 2003 Ballon d'Or, which was won by Pavel Nedved. He finished third in 2006, behind Buffon and Cannavaro. Henry never received the World Footballer of the Year award after retiring.
6. Paolo Maldini
It's not shocking that Maldini did not win the Ballon d'Or; attackers typically win these honours. It has only been won by one defender, Fabio Canavaro, an Italian, rather than Maldini, Italy's top defender. In 2003, Maldini came in third, behind Nedved and Henry. Ballon d'Or or not, he ended his career as the greatest Italian defender and is regarded as one of the finest in football history.
7. Oliver Kahn
Again, I realize that discussing a goalie may seem strange, but this goalie is none other than Oliver Kahn. It is an incredible achievement for any player, especially a goalkeeper, to place in the top three of the Ballon d'Or twice in a row.
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His career lasted 21 years, 14 of them as a legend with Bayern Munich and 7 with Karlsruher. Even fifteen years after retiring, Kahn is still highly respected in Germany, having played 780 games for both clubs and earning 86 caps.
8. Robert Lewandowski
Many football enthusiasts believe that Robert Lewandowski ought to have been the 2020 Ballon d'Or winner. However, because of the COVID-19 epidemic, no such award was given that year. The ceremony was canceled by the organizers after they turned down demands for a virtual event.
Lewandowski had an exceptional season in 2020, scoring 55 goals in 47 appearances for Bayern Munich. If the contest had happened, he would have prevailed. With 48 goals in 40 games in 2021, he duplicated his success, although Lionel Messi triumphed. It's doubtful if, at 34 and a player for Barcelona, he will again achieve similar levels. Lewandowski is surprisingly without a Ballon d'Or victory.
9. Luis Suarez
Because of Messi and Ronaldo's domination, many elite players have missed out on winning the Ballon d'Or over the past 15 years. Luis Suarez was also a casualty. Between 2010 and 2019, he outscored Messi and Ronaldo to win the European Golden Boot twice. In spite of this, he was never in the top three or the winner of the Ballon d'Or. Playing for Gremio in Brazil at the age of 36, Suarez's hopes of winning the Ballon d'Or appear to be gone.
10. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Recently, Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 24-year playing career came to an end. As a premier striker, he represented major league teams such as Manchester United, Ajax, Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain.
He was rarely mentioned in conversations on the Ballon d'Or, despite his accomplishments. He did not blame Messi and Ronaldo like other strikers did when he placed fourth in the 2013 prize.
