10 deserving Ballon d'Or winners of the last decade if players were eligible to win only once

#3 Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich - 2013)

Bayern Muenchen vs Olympique de Marseille - UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final

The Ballon d'Or has been won by a few French players, but none has done so this century. Thierry Henry, Antoine Griezmann and Franck Ribery are the only French players who have come close to winning the Ballon d'Or in the 21st century.

Franck Ribery had a legendary stint with Bayern Munich before he moved to Fiorentina in 2019. With his mind-boggling dribbling and amazing creative abilities, it was very difficult to contain the Frenchman. With ten goals and 14 assists in the 2012-13 season, he helped the Bavarian giants win the Bundesliga.

He also won the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League the same season, completing the treble with Bayern Munich. However, Ribery only finished third in the 2013 Ballon d'Or rankings, finishing behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

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#2 Radamel Falcao (Atletico Madrid - 2012)

Radamel Falcao could have won the 2012 Ballon d'Or.

Radamel Falcao played for Atletico Madrid for only two seasons, but he had a prolific goal-rich stint with them. The Colombian striker had joined them in 2011 after an impressive spell at Porto.

In his two seasons with Atletico, he scored 52 goals in 68 La Liga appearances. Even in the 2011-12 UEFA Europa League, Falcao was phenomenal, netting 12 times in 15 appearances. That played a key role in the Rojiblancos winning the tournament.

Falcao finished fifth in the 2012 Ballon d'Or, finishing well behind winner Lionel Messi. Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta and Xavi also finished above the Colombian.

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#1 Xavi (Barcelona - 2011)

Xavi was nominated for the Ballon d'Or more than once in his career.

Xavi is arguably one of the best central midfielders of his generation. With his vision, incisive passing and creative abilities, the Spanish midfielder was a key player for Barcelona.

The pair of Xavi and Andres Iniesta in midfield was a nightmare for opposition defences. Xavi liked to dictate terms with his technical skills and metronomic ability to pick out his teammates. His accurate passing and playmaking abilities made him a huge threat.

The Spanish midfielder helped Barcelona win La Liga and the UEFA Champions League in the 2010-11 season. His contributions earned him a third-place finish in the 2011 Ballon d'Or. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo finished ahead of him.