'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#3 Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney shook the world with his exploits at Euro 2004. He was bossing games against some of the best in the business and there was a sense of aggression about him that was almost intimidating. Rooney enjoyed a spectacular career at Manchester United but his selflessness has definitely cost him on the awards front.
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Rooney has played everywhere across the frontline and midfield in order to accommodate the other superstars that Manchester United would lure at the time. But he was so well-rounded as a footballer that he thrived in every position he played in.
There was a period of time during which the England national team would severely underperform at major tournaments despite all the talent at their disposal. Wayne Rooney was a prime example of this and it perhaps cost him several times in the race for the Ballon d'Or.
Rooney won the Premier League and the Champions League double in the 2007-08 season. He was also Manchester United's leading goalscorer with 34 goals across all competitions in the 2009-10 and 2011-12 seasons. They made it to the finals of the Champions League both times but failed to win it. He was chosen as the PFA Player of the Year in 2010.
But despite his contributions, Rooney never made the Ballon d'Or top three. The closest he came was finishing fifth in the 2011 Ballon d'Or race.
#2 Johan Neeskens
One of the greatest Dutch midfielders of all time, Johan Neeskens was one of the toughest men in Cruyff's supporting cast during their best years in world football. A steely campaigner, Neeskens was one of the first to specialize in a box-to-box role.
He was a tireless worker and was notably hailed as being 'worth two men in midfield' by his teammate Sjaak Swart. Cruyff won the Ballon d'Or three times and he owes a lot of credit to his supporting cast that includes Neeskens. Together they made it to the finals of the World Cup in 1974 and 1978.
Neeskens is also widely acknowledged to have been the best player at the 1974 FIFA World Cup. He won the World Cup Silver Boot and was named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team.
But he finished fifth in that year's race for the Ballon d'Or and that's the closest he ever came to the podium.
#1 Luis Suarez
Although he is a divisive figure, it's difficult to dismiss Luis Suarez's credentials as one of the best footballers of the 21st century. The Uruguayan marksman achieved the almost unimaginable feat of outscoring Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi when they were at the peak of their powers. He did it twice.
He also won the lot with Barcelona. After making a name for himself at Ajax, Suarez caught everyone's attention by virtue of his incredible performances in the Premier League for Liverpool. He would then cop a dream move to Barcelona where he formed part of arguably the greatest attacking trio in modern day football, the MSN.
In the 2015-16 campaign, the Uruguayan was unstoppable. He scored 53 goals in 58 matches across all competitions. However, the closest that Suarez came to the top three in the race for the Ballon d'Or was in 2015 when he finished fifth.
