As the Ballon d'Or award is voted for by journalists its winner doesn't always tend to be world's best player to the pros or the masses. Some players have been unlucky to be in the era of all time greats, some end up playing for a smaller team without the trophies to back it up and the rest just don't get the votes.
Some huge names not only miss out on the award itself but also are surprisingly omitted from the nominee list. Take for example, Raphinha and Pedri who are this year's shock omissions, certainly if you ask Barcelona director Deco.
With that said, these are the top 10 best players in football history never to win the Ballon d'Or.
10. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
A player whose sheer longevity and output rival the very best in history. Zlatan Ibrahimovic won league titles in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and France, scoring over 500 career goals.
Ibrahimovic's absolute peak came during the 2015/16 season with Paris Saint-Germain, where he posted a ridiculous 50 goals and 19 assists in just 51 appearances.
Unfortunately, when you play in the same era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo you have to settle for third in your best years.
9. Gianluigi Buffon
Whenever you're a goalkeeper, it's a tough ask to win the award when attackers take the headlines. Only Lev Yashin has been crowned Player of Year between the sticks in 1963. Gianluigi Buffon came agonisingly close in 2006.
During the 2005/06 campaign, Buffon kept 21 clean sheets in Serie A, and capped off the year by conceding just two goals during Italy's World Cup Win campaign. He finished second in the voting to his captain Fabio Cannavaro.
8. Dennis Bergkamp
The Dutch magician was always well respected by his peers but struggled to separate himself as the world's best. His fear of flying held him back as he missed key games in Europe on multiple occasions.
Dennis Bergkamp didn't rely on raw pace; his game was built entirely on perfect first touches and geometric vision. He finished third in the voting in 1992 and 1993, but his crowning campaign came in 1997/98.
The Dutch icon led Arsenal to a domestic double with 22 goals and 13 assists across all competitions, and scored one of the greatest World Cup goals ever against Argentina, but his distinct style was overshadowed by pure goalscorers.
7. Sergio Ramos
If Fabio Cannavaro could win the award for a month of brilliant World Cup defending, Sergio Ramos had a legitimate case across an entire decade.
Ramos' best case came in 2016/17, where he anchored Real Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double while scoring 10 goals from centre-back. Yet, defenders rarely get the ultimate individual nod in the modern era.
6. Franck Ribery
When you're the best player in a treble winning team, you're allowed to feel hard done by when you finished third in voting. Franck Ribery came into his own at Bayern Munich tearing European defenses apart to record 11 goals and 23 assists.
Despite being the overwhelming favorite and winning the UEFA Men's Player of the Year, the voting deadline was mysteriously extended, and Cristiano Ronaldo ultimately pipped him to the Ballon d'Or.
5. Xavi
A key cog of quite possibly the best midfield at club and international level, Xavi had to settle behind his co star role to Lionel Messi. The Spanish maestro finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
During Barcelona's historic 2008/09 treble-winning season, he completely dictated European football, contributing 10 goals and an astonishing 31 assists across all competitions. Without Xavi’s unmatched passing, tiki-taka dominance simply would not have existed.
4. Paolo Maldini
Arguably the greatest defender in the history of the sport, Paolo Maldini spent 25 years at AC Milan, winning five European Cups.
Maldini finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting in 1994, a season where he anchored a Milan defense that conceded just 15 goals in 34 Serie A matches and completely dismantled Johan Cruyff's Barcelona 4-0 in the Champions League final.
Unfortunately the greatest defender ever was never recognised as the worlds best player.
3. Robert Lewandowski
Without doubt the biggest robbery in the awards history, Robert Lewandowski was the undisputed king during Covid 19. But without explanation the award was cancelled and he could never his hands on the golden ball.
In 2019/20, Lewandowski produced a flawless season, scoring 55 goals and providing 10 assists in just 47 games while leading Bayern Munich to a continental treble.
2. Andrés Iniesta
In a similar situation to Xavi, Andres Iniesta was a victim of the players he played with. He finished second to Messi in 2010 after scoring the winning goal in the World Cup final.
Iniesta's peak creative season came in 2011/12, when he registered eight goals and 13 assists before being named Player of the Tournament at Euro 2012. While his stats don't blow your mind, his performances alone made Barca the greatest club side some might say of all time.
1. Thierry Henry
The greatest player to ever play in the Premier League for some reason can never say he was honoured as best player in the world. This wasn't because of competition but instead the voters deciding on their own criteria.
Thierry Henry was utterly unplayable in the early 2000s and in 2003 controversially robbed, losing to Pavel Nedvěd despite posting a historic 32 goals and 28 assists across all competitions for Arsenal (including 24 goals and 20 assists in the Premier League alone). The one award he didn't place in his trophy cabinet during a glorious career.
