The 12 greatest footballers to have never won the Ballon d'Or (Ranked)

GiveMeSport

By Sam Torrance

Updated Oct 31, 2023

Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Ramos, Thierry Henry & Paolo Maldini all feature as the 12 greatest players to have never won the Ballon d'Or are named.

Lewandowski, despite being one of the greatest goal scorers in history, has been unlucky to never win a Ballon d'Or, especially in 2020 when he was the favorite but the ceremony was canceled due to COVID-19.
Zlatan's longevity, impressive trophy haul, and knack for the spectacular put him in the frame for the Ballon d'Or, but his lack of appearances in Champions League finals hurt his chances.
Robben, despite his shining performances and scoring the winning goal in the 2013 Champions League final, never finished higher than fourth in the Ballon d'Or rankings, leaving us wondering what could have been with a World Cup win.