Top Football Stars Who Missed the Ballon d’Or Podium

Several great football players have missed out on the top three in the Ballon d’Or rankings. They had outstanding careers and won major trophies but did not get the recognition they deserved.

From 2008 to 2017, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated the Ballon d’Or award. The tough competition left many exceptional players without a podium finish. Players like Mohamed Salah from Liverpool, Luis Suarez, and Chelsea legend Didier Drogba are among those who never made it to the Ballon d’Or top three, as reported by Planet Football on Friday.

Luis Suárez
Luis Suarez is one of the biggest names missing from the Ballon d’Or podium. His incredible performances for Liverpool in the 2013-14 season stand out. He scored 31 goals in the Premier League, won the European Golden Shoe, and helped Liverpool fight for the league title. Despite this success, Suarez did not make the 23-man shortlist for the 2014 Ballon d’Or.

Suarez reflected on his lack of recognition, saying, “Everyone brings it to attention, as Gerard Pique said, and what he told me is that they voted me as the best player in the most difficult league in the world, or one of the most difficult.” He mentioned that he was the top goalscorer in Europe but preferred to stay quiet to avoid trouble.

Suarez continued to perform well after joining Barcelona in 2014. He helped the team win the treble in 2014-15 alongside Messi and Neymar. Still, their success did not earn him a spot in the Ballon d’Or top three. He scored 59 goals in all competitions during the 2015-16 season. But Messi, Ronaldo, and Antoine Griezmann took the top three spots that year.

Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale had a successful career at Real Madrid, winning five Champions League titles and playing key roles in many finals. The Welsh forward also helped his country reach the semi-finals of Euro 2016. Yet, Bale never finished higher than sixth in the Ballon d’Or rankings. This shows how tough the competition was during his best years.

Despite his speed, goalscoring ability, and knack for delivering in big moments, he could not break into the top three of the Ballon d’Or.

Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah has become one of the most influential attackers in the Premier League during his time at Liverpool. He won major domestic and European titles. Salah played a key role in Liverpool's Champions League win in 2019 and their Premier League title in 2019-20. His consistency and skill earned him wide recognition, but he has never finished in the Ballon d’Or top three.

In 2019, his teammate Virgil van Dijk finished second behind Messi after their Champions League success, while Salah missed a podium spot. Salah's achievements have still placed him among the top players of his generation.

Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba was one of the key forwards of his time, leading Chelsea to many trophies and becoming a major figure in African football. The Ivorian striker was crucial during Chelsea's 2012 Champions League win, scoring in the final against Bayern Munich and converting the decisive penalty in the shootout. Despite his important contributions, Drogba finished eighth in the 2012 Ballon d’Or voting.

The lack of African players on the award’s podium has been widely discussed. George Weah is the only African player to win the Ballon d’Or, achieving it in 1995, while Sadio Mané finished second in 2022. Drogba's success at both club and international levels makes his absence from the top three surprising.

Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti spent his entire senior club career at Roma, becoming a celebrated one-club player. The Italian playmaker was known for his vision, skill, and creativity. Even three-time Ballon d’Or winner Michel Platini praised his intelligence on the field. Totti helped Roma win the Serie A title in 2000-01 and finished fifth in the Ballon d’Or rankings that year.

His choice to stay at Roma instead of joining a bigger club like Real Madrid may have limited his chances for the award, given Roma's lesser success in the Champions League. Still, Totti’s loyalty and impact made him one of the most respected figures in Italian football.

Roy Keane
Roy Keane was the driving force in Manchester United’s midfield during Sir Alex Ferguson’s successful years. The former Republic of Ireland captain played a vital role in United’s historic treble-winning season in 1998-99, providing leadership and tactical skill. Yet, Keane never finished higher than sixth in the Ballon d’Or rankings.

In a recent podcast, Keane expressed surprise at his ranking. “Sixth!?” he said when he found out. “Me coming sixth makes it a bit of a joke, doesn’t it?” His lack of a podium finish is surprising given his influence on one of Europe’s most successful teams.

Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney is another Manchester United legend who never reached the Ballon d’Or top three. He is the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, winning five Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup, and three League Cups during his time at Old Trafford. Rooney also had a long international career with England, becoming one of their top goalscorers.

Even though he did not get the individual awards like his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney kept a high level of performance for over a decade. His versatility, creativity, and goalscoring made him one of the top forwards of his time, but he never secured a spot on the Ballon d’Or podium.

Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo was known for his superb passing, calmness, and ability to control matches from midfield. The Italian won the World Cup in 2006 and had great success with AC Milan and Juventus. Despite his achievements, Pirlo never made it to the Ballon d’Or top three.

His talent was recognized in 2020 when France Football named him in its all-time Ballon d’Or Dream Team. But he was placed in the second team, not the first, which included some of the best midfielders and attackers. Pirlo’s absence from the podium is surprising given his impact on the game and his success at the highest level.

Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben was one of the most dangerous wingers of his generation. He was known for his speed, dribbling, and his signature move of cutting inside from the right to shoot with his left foot. The Dutchman played a key role in Bayern Munich’s historic treble-winning season in 2012-13, scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund.

Despite his amazing performances, Robben never finished in the Ballon d’Or top three. Former Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge expressed disappointment over Robben’s omission in 2014. “The fact that Arjen Robben failed to make the top three was a shame,” Rummenigge said. “It’s barely possible to play better than he has in the last year and a half.”

Robben’s failure to reach the podium was especially notable during an era dominated by Messi and Ronaldo, who finished first and second in 2013. The dominance of Messi and Ronaldo during the late 2000s and 2010s made it hard for other players to secure a spot in the Ballon d’Or’s top three. Their excellence left few chances for others, even for players who had big wins or showed exceptional skills.

For stars like Suarez, Salah, Drogba, Bale, and Robben, missing a podium finish does not take away from their achievements. Their careers show that being great in football is not just about individual awards, especially in a time when two incredible players ruled the game.