The Ballon d’Or, football’s most prestigious individual award, has crowned countless legends—yet many worthy stars have missed out. Data website S90 has named a "best XI never to win the Ballon d’Or," headlined by Neymar, with Robert Lewandowski, Manuel Neuer, and others included, while Franck Ribéry was notably omitted.
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer
One of the greatest keepers of the last decade, Neuer won the 2014 World Cup with Germany but lost the Ballon d’Or to Cristiano Ronaldo, a career-defining regret.
Defenders (3-man backline): Paolo Maldini, Virgil van Dijk, Sergio Ramos
Maldini, a "defensive benchmark," surprisingly never won the award despite his legacy;
- Van Dijk was "unbeatable" at his peak (forwards who dribbled past him made headlines) but missed out due to positional bias;
- Ramos, a Real Madrid and Spain legend, was overshadowed by Messi and Ronaldo, never even making the top three.
Midfield: Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Toni Kroos, Neymar
Xavi and Iniesta, architects of Barça’s "Dream Team" and Spain’s treble of major titles, combined skill and silverware;
- Kroos, a linchpin of Real Madrid’s "Holy Trinity" midfield, dominated as an 8 but lacked stats to challenge for the award;
- Neymar, with generational talent but bad luck, was shifted to midfield amid fierce forward competition—his Ballon d’Or dream fell just short of surpassing Messi and Ronaldo.
Forwards: Thierry Henry, Luis Suárez, Robert Lewandowski
Henry, a top winger of his era, consistently finished in the top three but never won;
- Suárez, who claimed two European Golden Shoes during the Messi-Ronaldo era, had elite scoring ability but no Ballon d’Or;
- Lewandowski is the biggest regret—he would have easily won in 2020 if the award hadn’t been canceled.
