The greatest players never to win the Ballon d'Or: Thierry Henry, Andres Iniesta and more

Since its instauration successful 1956, the Ballon d'Or has been 1 of the astir illustrious idiosyncratic honours successful football, crowning the champion subordinate for each calendar twelvemonth successful Europe (and much precocious for each season).

From 1995, the grant was opened up to each players astir the world, aft the likes of Pele and Diego Maradona missed retired owed to being ineligible successful their prime, and has grown successful value ever since.

Out of each the players who were eligible, though, determination are immoderate whose greatness surely demanded much designation from those journalists, players and coaches who ballot for the grant each year, but ne'er did so.

The 2026 grant volition beryllium handed retired successful London connected Monday, with Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal expected to spell head-to-head for the main prize.

Kane is seen arsenic the flimsy favourite up of Yamal, and it mightiness good beryllium the former's last accidental to unafraid the Ballon d'Or.

Yamal, connected the different hand, volition surely person much opportunities successful the coming years fixed his property - 19 - and the information that helium is already 1 of the champion players successful the world.

Kane continues to power matches astatine the highest level, but it is simply a large inquire for him to bask an adjacent amended play successful 2026-27.

Yamal helped Barcelona triumph La Liga past play earlier securing the World Cup trophy with Spain, portion Kane had an outstanding 2025-26 run astatine Bayern, winning a home double, earlier helping England to decorativeness 3rd astatine the 2026 World Cup.

Here, Sports Mole looks astatine immoderate of the finest players who person ne'er won the Ballon d'Or.

Ferenc Puskas

Had the grant been astir a fewer years earlier, past determination is nary uncertainty that Ferenc Puskas would person been a recipient, arsenic the Hungarian legend, portion of the trailblazing 'Golden Team' of the 1950s, remains 1 of the top strikers ever to play the game.

One of the biggest shocks successful footballing past was Hungary's nonaccomplishment to triumph the 1954 World Cup, conscionable earlier that iconic squad was divided up owed to the gyration that took spot successful the state a mates of years later.

That is what saw Puskas determination to Real Madrid successful 1958, going connected to people 242 goals successful 262 matches, winning 5 La Liga titles and 3 European Cups, contempt playing up until his precocious 30s, but his performances were lone capable to assistance him 2nd spot successful 1960.

Thierry Henry

Often referred to arsenic the top striker successful Premier League history, Thierry Henry spent little clip successful the English apical formation than galore of his peers, but tin much than lucifer them for onslaught rate, earlier moving to Barcelona and winning the Champions League successful the second portion of his career.

A subordinate of the Arsenal broadside that went invincible successful 2004, Henry besides dragged the Gunners to their archetypal ever Champions League last successful 2006, and the legendary guardant enjoyed unparalleled occurrence astatine planetary level too, winning the World Cup and European Championship with France.

Zinedine Zidane got the acclaim up of Henry, though, and contempt being named FWA Player of the Year 3 times, and winning the European Golden Boot twice, the Arsenal large could lone negociate 2nd spot successful 2003 and 3rd successful 2006 - with France missing retired connected the World Cup being fatal to his chances.

Andres Iniesta

For 14 years, Andres Iniesta was a staple of the classy Barcelona midfield that conquered Europe connected galore occasions, and the Spain broadside that dominated planetary shot successful the late-2000s and early-2010s.

In 2009 and 2011, Iniesta was important successful 1 of the top nine sides of each clip claiming Champions League glory, portion helium was instrumental successful Spain's large tourney occurrence successful 2008, 2010 and 2012, but playing successful the epoch of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo saw him denied idiosyncratic success.

Barca teammate Messi often pipped him to the award, arsenic Iniesta came 2nd successful 2010 acknowledgment mostly to his World Cup-winning goal, and helium besides came 3rd successful 2012 aft Spain cruised to a 2nd consecutive Euros crown.

Luis Suarez

Another subordinate who suffered during the Messi-Ronaldo monopoly was Luis Suarez, who remarkably ne'er made the apical 3 successful immoderate year, but volition spell down arsenic 1 of the astir talented players of his generation.

Winning Golden Boots successful Holland, England and Spain, Suarez astir dragged Liverpool to an improbable rubric successful 2014, earlier moving to Barcelona and winning the treble successful his archetypal afloat play arsenic one-third of the top modern-day onslaught unit successful football.

With implicit 500 goals successful astir 800 nine appearances, Suarez was besides prolific astatine planetary level, lending a helping manus (literally) successful Uruguay's tally to the semi-final astatine the 2010 World Cup, earlier winning the Golden Ball successful their Copa America occurrence successful 2011, going connected to go the country's all-time grounds goalscorer.

Paolo Maldini

In an grant often dominated by attackers, immoderate emotion has to beryllium shown to 1 of the top defenders of each time, and perchance the astir loyal one-club antheral successful the game, Paolo Maldini.

The AC Milan large came 3rd successful the 2003 ballot aft captaining the Rossoneri to the Champions League, and helium led his nine to the acme of European shot again successful 2007, having already won the contention 3 times during the 1980s and 1990s.

Never winning a large honour with Italy is what astir surely denied him though, arsenic helium would spell connected to spot his compatriot Fabio Cannavaro triumph it successful 2006, but Maldini's status successful 2002 handed the accidental to Fabio Grosso to instrumentality his spot astatine left-back and beryllium the cult leader that guided the Azzurri to their 4th planetary crown that year.

Kylian Mbappe

The 1 subordinate successful this database who inactive has a immense accidental to triumph it successful the aboriginal is Kylian Mbappe, whose caller determination to Real Madrid is often attributed to his tendency to triumph this peculiar accolade, arsenic good arsenic the Champions League.

In erstwhile eras, what Mbappe has done astatine planetary level would person surely won him the grant by now, arsenic helium was the Young Player of the Tournament astatine the 2018 World Cup, becoming the 2nd teen aft Pele to people doubly successful a World Cup match, and to nett successful the final, connected the mode to France winning it for the 2nd time.

Had it not been for the fairytale communicative of Messi winning the World Cup successful 2022, Mbappe would person been successful superior contention for the grant again too, arsenic his astonishing chapeau instrumentality successful the last was overshadowed by the Argentine large yet clinching the Holy Grail, but astatine 25, determination is inactive plentifulness of clip for the Frenchman to adhd his accolades.

Honourable mentions:

Paco Gento, Wayne Rooney, Xavi, Franco Baresi, Bobby Moore, Steven Gerrard, Neymar, Romario, Robert Lewandowski, Kevin De Bruyne, Frank Rijkaard, Toni Kroos, Alessandro Del Piero, Paul Breitner