From Maldini to Mbappe: The incredible XI of stars without a Ballon d'Or

Thierry Henry, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are among the top players successful Premier League history, yet nary managed to triumph the Ballon d'Or. Remarkably, each 3 would besides miss retired connected a spot successful our eventual XI of shot legends who ne'er claimed the prestigious idiosyncratic award.

As the 70th Ballon d'Or ceremonial prepares to instrumentality spot astatine London's Palladium Theatre connected Monday, October 26, the juncture offers an accidental to revisit immoderate of the astir bonzer omissions successful the trophy's history.

From World Cup winners to Champions League icons, countless players person enjoyed singular careers without receiving football's astir coveted idiosyncratic distinction. Some were overshadowed by exceptional rivals, portion others came agonisingly adjacent earlier missing their opportunity.

Our enactment follows 1 important rule: lone players who were eligible for the grant during their careers tin beryllium considered. That excludes the likes of Pele and Diego Maradona, who were not eligible during their playing days due to the fact that the Ballon d'Or was restricted to European footballers until 1995.

The effect is simply a formidable 4-3-3 featuring legends of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AC Milan – but with immoderate peculiarly hard decisions involving Premier League greats.

Our top XI ne'er to triumph the Ballon d'Or (4-3-3)

Henry and Lewandowski suffer retired arsenic Puskas leads bonzer attack

Few decisions are much contentious than leaving Thierry Henry retired of a squad celebrating the top footballers ne'er to triumph the Ballon d'Or.

The erstwhile Arsenal skipper was runner-up successful 2003, finished 3rd successful 2006 and 4th successful 2004. A two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner? Henry went considerably further, collecting the grant connected 4 occasions portion establishing himself arsenic 1 of the competition's defining forwards.

His relation successful Arsenal's Invincibles play and his publication to France's World Cup and European Championship triumphs underline the bonzer spot of his candidature.

Yet our centre-forward presumption goes to Ferenc Puskas, whose achievements with Real Madrid and Hungary marque him astir intolerable to overlook.

The Hungarian finished 2nd successful the 1960 Ballon d'Or voting and helped Madrid triumph 3 European Cups, scoring 4 times successful their celebrated 7-3 triumph implicit Eintracht Frankfurt successful the 1960 final.

Puskas is preferred not due to the fact that Henry's achievements were insufficient, but due to the fact that his dominance of European shot provides an arsenic compelling claim.

Robert Lewandowski presents different hard omission.

The Polish striker finished 2nd successful 2021, but his top accidental arguably disappeared successful 2020, erstwhile France Football cancelled the grant due to the fact that of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lionel Messi has beaten immoderate large names to triumph the Ballon d'Or successful caller years ? 2019: Virgil van Dijk ? 2021: Robert Lewandowski ? 2023: Erling Haaland ? https://t.co/Thn4C7peU2

Lewandowski had inspired Bayern Munich to a historical treble and was wide regarded arsenic the outstanding candidate. Unlike respective different players connected this list, helium ne'er adjacent received the accidental to contention that year's vote.

On the close wing, Arjen Robben earns his spot aft a vocation defined by bonzer idiosyncratic accomplishment and decisive performances.

The Dutchman finished 4th successful 2014 and scored the winning extremity successful Bayern's 2013 Champions League last triumph implicit Borussia Dortmund.

His erstwhile teammate Franck Ribery besides has a almighty case, having finished 3rd down Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi successful 2013 contempt Bayern's treble-winning campaign.

However, our left-wing presumption goes to Kylian Mbappe, the lone subordinate successful the starting XI who inactive has an accidental to triumph the trophy.

The Real Madrid guardant finished 3rd successful 2023 and has repeatedly featured among the starring contenders. His singular World Cup grounds and bonzer goalscoring achievements already spot him among the astir accomplished attackers of his generation.

Neymar, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Vinicius Junior are different notable absentees from an attacking enactment successful which adjacent Henry and Lewandowski cannot find room.

Gerrard and Lampard overlooked arsenic Barcelona legends predominate midfield

The Premier League's astir celebrated midfielders look arsenic formidable competition.

Steven Gerrard finished 3rd successful the 2005 Ballon d'Or voting aft captaining Liverpool to their unforgettable Champions League triumph successful Istanbul.

That aforesaid year, Frank Lampard came adjacent closer, finishing 2nd down Ronaldinho pursuing Chelsea's archetypal Premier League rubric nether Jose Mourinho.

David Beckham, different English shot icon, had antecedently finished runner-up to Rivaldo successful 1999 aft Manchester United's historical treble.

All 3 would fortify astir immoderate phantasy XI, yet our midfield is built astir 2 Spanish players who defined an epoch of planetary and nine football.

Xavi Hernandez finished 3rd successful 3 consecutive Ballon d'Or votes betwixt 2009 and 2011, portion Andres Iniesta was runner-up successful 2010 and 3rd successful 2012.

Together, they were cardinal to Barcelona's bonzer occurrence nether Pep Guardiola and Spain's unprecedented tally of 3 successive large planetary trophies betwixt 2008 and 2012.

Iniesta's exclusion from the 2010 winners' database remains peculiarly debated, fixed that helium scored Spain's winning extremity successful the World Cup last against the Netherlands.

Completing our midfield is Andrea Pirlo, the Italian playmaker who finished 5th successful 2007 and seventh successful 2012.

His vision, passing scope and quality to dictate the tempo of matches made him indispensable to some AC Milan and Juventus, portion helium besides helped Italy triumph the 2006 World Cup.

Gerrard and Lampard were much nonstop attacking threats, but Pirlo's beingness alongside Xavi and Iniesta creates a midfield built astir exceptional method quality and control.

Further contention comes from Wesley Sneijder, Toni Kroos, Sergio Busquets and Yaya Toure, demonstrating however hard it is to prime conscionable 3 players.

The antiaircraft portion is dominated by Italian and Brazilian legends.

Paolo Maldini, who finished 3rd successful 1994 and 2003, partners Franco Baresi, the 1989 runner-up, astatine centre-back. Both were cardinal figures successful AC Milan's European dominance and are wide regarded among the top defenders successful shot history.

Cafu takes the right-back presumption aft appearing successful 3 consecutive World Cup finals with Brazil, winning 2 of them.

On the other flank, Roberto Carlos gets the nod. The erstwhile Real Madrid full-back finished 2nd to Ronaldo successful the 2002 Ballon d'Or voting pursuing a play successful which helium won some the Champions League and the World Cup.

Virgil van Dijk, who missed retired to Lionel Messi by conscionable 7 points successful 2019, is possibly the astir unfortunate omission from this backmost four. Sergio Ramos, Alessandro Nesta, Philipp Lahm and Carles Puyol besides merit consideration.

Finally, Gianluigi Buffon is selected successful goal.

The Italian finished 2nd down compatriot Fabio Cannavaro successful 2006, the twelvemonth helium helped Italy go satellite champions. Manuel Neuer, 3rd successful 2014, and Iker Casillas supply superior competition, but Buffon's longevity and consistency gain him the position.

Ultimately, the lack of Henry, Gerrard and Lampard says much astir the bonzer spot of this imaginary squad than astir their idiosyncratic achievements.

? Ronaldinho ? Frank Lampard ? Steven Gerrard ? On this day, successful 2005, Ronaldinho won his archetypal and lone Ballon d'Or. ? ?️ Diego Maradona: “He is 1 of the top players I person ever seen." ?️ Neymar “No 1 tin comparison to Ronaldinho." ?️ Deco: “Ronaldinho was much talented than Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo." ?️ Zinedine Zidane: “Ronaldinho is full people – a very, precise large player.”

The 3 Premier League icons stay among the greatest players ne'er to triumph the Ballon d'Or, careless of their exclusion from our starting lineup.

There is besides an intriguing twist up of Monday's ceremony: Henry volition assistance contiguous the awards successful London, portion Mbappe remains among the contenders to person the men's prize.

Should the French guardant yet assistance the trophy, this bonzer XI would instantly request a caller near winger.