10 players who should've won the Ballon d'Or

#9 Xavi Hernandez

Xavi endured no shortage of trophies over his decorated career for Spain and FC Barcelona

A vital cog in the legendary three-man midfield including Sergio Busquets and Iniesta, Xavi helped propel both Spain and Barcelona to sensational triumphs over the course of a decade or so. Xavi is regarded as one of the legends of the modern game without question.

Another La Masia graduate, Xavi went on to play 505 league games for Barcelona, scoring 58 goals and assisting a further 73. Nevertheless, defining this man by his career stats is nothing more than an undeserved insult to him and the game.

Xavi was an absolute metronome on the pitch, his passes, and intelligence dictated the midfield and kept it ticking over smoothly. Another payer sadly overlooked for this award, and on the wrong side of the winners' list, the closest Xavi came to a Ballon d'Or, was third place on no less than three occasions. Another day, another legend who didn't make the cut.

Regardless, with or without the prize, nobody can question Xavi's worth to the game.