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The Ballon d’Or is perhaps the most prestigious individual award given out in football, and over the years it has lost a bit of its shine.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have won 11 Ballon d’Or awards between them, often making a mockery of the competition in the last decade or so.
Luka Modric ended a ten-year run of the Messi-Ronaldo Ballon d’Or domination in 2018. In the process, Modric became the first midfielder to win the award since Kaka in 2007.
Over the years, several world-class midfielders have failed to win the award. So without further ado, let’s take a look at five of the best midfielders to have never won the Ballon d’Or.
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Honorable mentions: Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Claude Makalele, N'Golo Kante, Frank Ribery
#5 Deco
Deco was perhaps one of the most underrated players of the noughties despite playing a crucial role for both Porto and Barcelona.
The Portuguese inspired an unfancied Porto side to a historic Champions League triumph in 2004, and earned a move to Barcelona.
Deco was an instant hit at Barcelona under Frank Rijkaard, and helped the Blaugrana to two back-to-back Spanish Primera Liga titles and the Champions League in 2006.
The attacking midfielder first rose to prominence under Jose Mourinho as he was the creative brain of the team. It's still a mystery how Deco didn’t win the Ballon d’Or in 2004 for his performances.
#4 Frank Rijkaard
Part of an AC Milan team that revolutionized Italian football, Frank Rijkaard was one of the best players in his position.
The Dutchman was part of an incredible Dutch core of the Italian side, and finished third in the race for the Ballon d’Or in 1988 and 1989.
Together with Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit, Rijkaard won the European Cup and the Serie A with AC Milan, and also lifted the European Championship with the Netherlands in 1988.
Unlike van Basten and Gullit, however, Rijkaard was overlooked for the Ballon d’Or. Perhaps it was because Rijkaard played in a more defensive role compared to both his compatriots.
At his peak, Rijkaard was a physical phenomenon who controlled games and barely let anything past him in midfield and at the back.
#3 Xavi Hernandez
Xavi Hernandez won everything in both club football and on the international stage and was the midfield orchestrator at Barcelona under Pep Guardiola.
The Spaniard formed an all-conquering midfield three with Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta, but never finished higher than third in the race for the Ballon d’Or.
Xavi wasn’t know for scoring goals or directly providing assists, but it will perhaps be a while before we see a player of his caliber again.
The Spaniard was a pass-master to say the least, and controlled the tempo of games exceedingly well. No team has ever replicated the way Guardiola’s Barcelona used to keep the ball, and Xavi was instrumental in achieving that in the late noughties.
#2 Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder helped Inter Milan to their first Champions League title in 45 years when the Nerazzurri won it under Jose Mourinho in 2010.
The Champions League win capped off a brilliant season for Inter Milan as they won the treble for the first time in their history.
Sneijder played a key role for the Netherlands in the summer of 2010 as well, as they fell agonizingly short in the final against Spain.
Despite all the aforementioned achievements, Sneijder did not even finish in the top three of the Ballon d’Or standings in 2010 as Lionel Messi picked up the award.
The Dutchman played in an era full of quality midfielders, but he carved out his own name in the history books and should have won a Ballon d’Or for his achievements.
#1 Andres Iniesta
Like Xavi, Iniesta was overlooked twice for the Ballon d’Or. The Spaniard scored in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, and many believed he should have won the Ballon d’Or award for his performances that year.
Iniesta was silky smooth on the ball and like Xavi, was an astute passer of the ball. He played slightly more forward compared to his compatriot.
The 37-year-old is still playing club football with Vissel Kobe, and will play until at least 2023.
A player of his caliber should have won the Ballon d’Or at least once, but he won’t mind that considering he scored in the World Cup final.
