In football, winning everything is very difficult even for the best of players. For example, Lionel Messi is yet to win a World Cup. However, there are some players who, irrespective of being a top figure, could never touch the Ballon d’Or
Winning every trophy in football is very difficult. Skill and talent are not the only factors. A good team, supporting fans, father-like manager and most importantly, luck plays a big role in football. Sadly, not all players get the mentioned ingredients in their careers. There are some legendary players who won several trophies, but irrespective of doing everything, they could not kiss the Ballon d’Or trophy. In this article, we have listed some of the best football players who never won the prestigious trophy.
Second and third, but never came first
Thierry Henry was one of the finest strikers in the world of football and he is still considered a legend of the game. In 2003, Thierry Henry came second in the Ballon d’Or nomination list and 2006, he secured the third position but never became the winner. Henry, during his career, won several trophies, including the Premier League, La Liga and Champions League, but the Ballon d’Or trophy was simply out of his reach.
Henry’s teammate had the same fate
Thierry Henry’s Arsenal teammate Dennis Bergkamp also met the same fate as Thierry Henry. The Dutchman had a successful stint at Arsenal, but similar to Henry, he came third and second in the Ballon d’Or nomination list in 1992 and 1993, respectively. Bergkamp hanged his football studs with several individual trophies along with three Premier League titles and four FA Cups. Not to forget, the Dutchman coupled with Henryturned Arsenal into a formidable unit.
Andres Iniesta and Xavi
The duo of Iniesta and Xavi did not merely turn Barcelona into a powerhouse but also the country of Spain in the 2010 World Cup. Not to forget, it was Andres Iniesta’s goal that earned Spain the World Cup. Many goals, assists and club titles to their names; the duo of Iniesta and Xavi never won the Ballon d’Or. Both the players made it to the top three nominations but lost out to either Messi or Ronaldo.
Last but not the least, some more legendary players who never won the Ballon d’Or were Franco Baresi, Raul, Paolo Maldini, Kenny Dalglish, Frank Rijkaard, Eric Cantona, Oliver Kahn and Gianluigi Buffon.
