PSG superstars are the frontrunners for this yr’s Ballon d’Or after they received a surprising treble in 2024-25. However having fun with unprecedented within the staff recreation doesn’t essentially end in particular person awards.
There’s an odd quirk that 5 of the final seven European treble-winning sides haven’t had a Ballon d’Or winner, nor have three of the final 4 World Cup winners.
Ousmane Dembele is main the race, however with quite a few good PSG stars splitting the vote may we see a shock winner from one other membership? Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal are among the many star names who can nonetheless harbour hope.
Listed below are 9 legendary groups that didn’t see any of their gamers rewarded with the Ballon d’Or.
Barcelona – 1991-92
Lionel Messi, in fact, was incessantly rewarded with the Ballon d’Or throughout Barcelona’s current imperial period. Three of his eight wins had been largely due to the most important position he performed in successful the Champions League – 2009, 2011 and 2015.
However no Barca participant claimed the award in 1992 when the membership received it for the primary time of their historical past, the final yr it was nonetheless formally often known as the European Cup.
Ronald Koeman scored the well-known match-winner in further time within the ultimate victory over Sampdoria however he solely ended up eighth within the rankings. Hristo Stoichkov completed runner-up however did win it a few years later, extra partly to his heroics on the World Cup.
Johan Cruyff’s Dream Staff missed out to prime Marco van Basten. That was regardless of the legendary goalscorer lacking the essential penalty within the Netherlands’ Euro ’92 shootout semi-final defeat to Denmark.
Proof that the Ballon d’Or was once a extra simplistic reflection of whoever was deemed the very best participant on the planet versus the closely narrative-influenced award it’s right this moment.
Manchester United – 1998-99
There’s definitely a case to be made that David Beckham deserved the Ballon d’Or in 1999. We’ve argued it ourselves.
The England worldwide completed runner-up to Rivaldo, who was sensational in Barcelona’s 1998-99 La Liga title victory below Louis van Gaal.
It appears wild by means of a 2025 lens that no Manchester United participant received the massive award in ’99, however you then think about that not one Ballon d’Or winner between 1992 and 2006 was a Champions League holder. Issues had been judged in another way again then.
Inter – 2009-10
Diego Milito was Inter’s high scorer of their historic treble-winning marketing campaign with 30 objectives in all competitions. He scored each objectives within the Champions League ultimate and additional clutch objectives within the Coppa Italia ultimate and final-day Serie A victory that sealed the Scudetto.
These days, a number of big-game moments like that will absolutely put any participant within the dialog for soccer’s most prestigious particular person accolade. And but, someway, the Argentinian striker didn’t even make the shortlist in 2010.
“I formally stopped believing in these particular person awards since 2010,” team-mate Esteban Cambiasso responded.
“On the day I realised that Milito was out of the nomination of 30 gamers, not 5 or ten, I stated I now not perceive something about these awards.”
Wesley Sneijder (4th) was the one Inter participant within the Ballon d’Or high 10 that yr. There’s a comparatively good purpose for that, however nonetheless…
Spain – 2010
Jose Mourinho’s Inter weren’t the one iconic staff from 2010.
Spain received the World Cup in South Africa and their era-defining midfield had been recognised with locations on the rostrum, with Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez – second and third respectively – competing an all-Barcelona high three.
Messi ‘solely’ received La Liga that yr and suffered a disappointing World Cup marketing campaign. It most likely wouldn’t make his high 5 Ballon d’Or years. However this was a time wherein his ascent to greatness nonetheless felt new and gob-smacking.
Sixty objectives and 17 assists in 64 matches for membership and nation had been numerical proof he was unquestionably the very best participant in world soccer, even whereas Spain and Inter made historical past. Properly worthy of retaining the Ballon d’Or.
Bayern Munich – 2012-13
No Ballon d’Or recognition for Bayern’s 2012-13 treble-winners stays a bone of competition in Bavaria, and evidently nonetheless rankles with a few of the huge characters in that dressing room.
“So that you NEED to win the Champions League to win the Ballon d’Or?” learn a current viral tweet from Frank Ribery, full with three sarcastic laughing emojis, in reference to lacking out in 2013.
Ribery was certainly excellent that yr, and he dominated the Bayern vote, however Arjen Robben, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Manuel Neuer had been additionally worthy of recognition on the shortlist.
His different downside was that Messi and Ronaldo had been on the absolute peak of their powers again then.
Ronaldo received it after successful a 100-point La Liga title with Actual Madrid, notching a tally of 69 objectives and 15 assists in 59 appearances for membership and nation that calendar yr. Runner-up Messi registered 45 objectives and 16 assists in simply 47 outings. Outrageous numbers, actually.
Germany – 2014
A bit like Bayern Munich the yr earlier than, Germany’s World Cup winners had been an excellent staff the place it wouldn’t have felt honest to single out anybody particular person.
Neuer (third) was the highest-ranking German behind ever-present high two Ronaldo and Messi.
Muller (fifth), Lahm (sixth), Toni Kroos (ninth), Mario Gotze (fifteenth) and Schweinsteiger (18th) additionally made the shortlist, whereas Mesut Ozil – so typically majestic in Brazil – didn’t even make the reduce. Robust competitors.
Ronaldo may’ve missed out on his third Ballon d’Or that yr if Die Mannschaft boasted a single celebrity determine, however because it was his achievements – 51 objectives in all competitions and La Decima – for Actual Madrid trumped anybody participant on the worldwide stage.
France – 2018
Zinedine Zidane deservedly took dwelling the Ballon d’Or in 1998 after demonstrating his mercurial abilities when France received their first World Cup on dwelling soil. Who might overlook him scoring twice within the ultimate towards Brazil?
Didier Deschamps’ Les Bleus aspect of 2018 had no such excellent determine. Antoine Griezmann (third) was the highest-ranked Frenchman within the Ballon d’Or rankings that yr, having additionally been distinctive all yr for Atletico Madrid, however Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe, N’Golo Kante and Raphael Varane had been additionally worthy of acclaim.
It’s tough to quibble with Luka Modric breaking the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly, having received a 3rd successive Champions League with Actual Madrid that yr earlier than being the talisman in Croatia’s shock run to the ultimate in Russia.
Bayern Munich – 2019-20
This one’s a little bit of a singular case.
Bayern’s 2019-20 aspect was not a type of nice collective groups with no apparent standout participant. That yr, Robert Lewandowski scored 55 objectives in all competitions to fireplace Hansi Flick’s aspect to the treble.
There was no worldwide event to overshadow his achievements. No Messi or Ronaldo ridiculousness. Ballon d’Or shoo-ins don’t get a lot greater.
…however organisers France Soccer made the unusual choice to cancel the award following the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Robert, you deserve your Ballon d’Or. Final yr, everybody was in settlement to say that you just had been the massive winner of this award,” Messi stated in his speech after beating the Poland worldwide to it the next yr.
Lewy was robbed.
QUIZ: Are you able to identify each participant to make the Ballon d’Or podium in Messi’s eight wins?
Manchester Metropolis – 2022-23
Like Lewandowski three years prior, Erling Haaland in 2022-23 most likely had one of many all-time biggest particular person campaigns to not be recognised with a Ballon d’Or.
The Norwegian striker scored 52 objectives in all competitions in his debut, treble-winning season at Manchester Metropolis – together with a record-breaking 36 within the Premier League.
Some other yr and he’d have been nailed-on.
Sadly for him, that was the yr Messi dazzled on the Qatar World Cup to say his record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or.
As above, not one of the earlier three World Cup-winning sides had a Ballon d’Or winner, however none of these had a participant who single-handedly owned the event and received the Golden Ball like Messi.
The Argentinian adopted within the footsteps of the likes of Fabio Cannavaro (2006), Ronaldo (2002), Paolo Rossi (1982) and Bobby Charlton (1966) in being awarded the Ballon d’Or after shining on the most important stage of all. One for the historical past books.
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