#3 Franck Ribery: 2013
Winner: Cristiano Ronaldo
Franck Ribery had pipped Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi earlier that year to win the UEFA Player of the Year, but finished third in the voting for the Ballon d'Or. Even though that may have been a travesty according to many people, everyone agrees that Ribery was one of the best players in the world that season. Bayern Munich won the treble that year, and Ribery was one of the most crucial parts of that achievement.
Ribery had a phenomenal season prior to that. Even though 11 goals may not be a large contribution, Ribery made up for that with a ginormous 23 assists, making it a contribution of 34 in just 43 appearances. While Ribery won the treble, the winner of the Ballon d'Or that year, Cristiano Ronaldo had failed to even win the Spanish La Liga. Ribery would have definitely been a winner without the nomination of Messi or Ronaldo.