5 Ballon d'Or nominees from obscure nations in the 21st century

Considered to be the pinnacle of a footballer's career, the Ballon d'Or is arguably the most prestigious individual award in the sport. While Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have exclusively dominated the podium for the last decade, a number of players have claimed the title for themselves in the past.

Ballon d'Or winners and their heritage

If we were to count the Czech Republic and its predecessor Czechoslovakia as a single country, we would get Ballon d'Or winners from as many as 19 countries. Predictably though, this count is severely concentrated in a select group of countries.

The usual suspects Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal have been represented the most number of times on the Ballon d'Or stage, with each nation being credited with seven wins. Lionel Messi is the only Argentine to have won the golden ball, granting his country six Ballon d'Or wins. Despite their glittering roster of talents, Luis Suarez was the last Spanish player to win the Ballon d'Or back in 1960.

With the idea of distributing the prize evenly, players from all four corners of the earth are nominated for the initial 30-man shortlist. On that note, let's take a look at five Ballon d'Or nominees from the 21st century who hail from the most unlikely of footballing countries:

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#5 Jan Oblak (Slovenia)

Oblak is a nailed down starter at Atletico Madrid

Despite his consistent showings, 2017 was the first time Jan Oblak made it onto the preliminary Ballon d'Or shortlist. Coming from the lesser-known nation of Slovenia, Oblak has successfully climbed up the ladder due to sheer commitment and hard work.

Currently occupying a lowly 64th place in FIFA's official rankings, Slovenia are yet to produce any Ballon d'Or winners from their national setup. Oblak is undoubtedly one of the best players to have come from the European nation. However, a 25th place finish in the 2018 Ballon d'Or rankings is the best position the 6ft 2in shot-stopper has been able to procure so far.

Aged 28, the Slovenian international is still in prime condition, with goalkeepers generally stretching their peak years beyond the 30s. Having sworn his allegiance to Atletico Madrid until 2023, Oblak is currently enjoying his eighth season with Los Rojiblancos. If he is able to maintain his current form, Oblak could potentially secure a higher finish in future Ballon d'Or listings.

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#4 Frédéric Kanouté (Mali)

Kanoute (L) also played in the Premier League

Widely known for his seven-year stint at Sevilla, Frédéric Kanouté began his career at Lyon. Born in France to Malian parents, the sturdy forward even played for the national U21 squad, making six appearances that bore a solitary goal. However, he switched loyalties to Mali as soon as FIFA updated its international rules in 2004.

Mali is the eighth-largest country in the densely populated continent of Africa. Yet it has had minimal representation on the footballing front. Subsequently, the nation only has a few Ballon d'Or nominations to show for its involvement in the sport. At the time of writing, Mali is ranked 61st in FIFA's latest rankings for men's football.

Kanouté on the other hand, was a fan favorite at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán between 2005-2012. Coming from Tottenham, the 38-time capped Malian international scored 131 goals in 284 appearances for the Andalusians. His exceptional showings in 2007 saw him bag the African Footballer of the Year award, along with an 11th place finish in the Ballon d'Or rankings.

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#3 Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo)

Adebayor played for some of the biggest Premier League sides

A quintessential journeyman, Emmanuel Adebayor has won many accolades in his illustrious career, including a Ballon d'Or nomination in 2008. Having defended the crests of some of the biggest clubs on the planet, including Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester City, Adebayor was absolutely lethal on his day.

With a PFA Team of the Year inclusion, coupled with 35 goal contributions, the 2007-08 season was arguably the best of his career. Hailing from the unknown African nation of Togo, Adebayor finished 12th in the 2008 Ballon d'Or rankings. With a current FIFA ranking of 136, Togo is one of the most obscure countries represented on the Ballon d'Or shortlist.

Possessing the clinical finishing needed in a forward to succeed at the top-most level, Adebayor always made sure that his presence was felt on any given occasion. Known for being an erratic hothead, the 37-year-old striker officially retired from the beautiful game in July 2020. After spending a brief spell in Turkey with Istanbul Basaksehir and Kayserispor, he was last seen playing for Paraguayan side Olimpia.

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#2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)

Aubameyang is Arsenal's second most expensive signing

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the residing captain of a dwindling Arsenal team, is one of the few bankable stars still plying their trade at the Emirates Stadium. Following four-and-a-half brilliant seasons with Borussia Dortmund, the Gabonese international was snapped up by Arsenal in 2018 for a then club-record fee of €63.75m.

While his adventures in England have hardly gone according to plan, Aubameyang was once one of the deadliest strikers on the planet. His last two years in Germany were especially prolific, earning him a Ballon d'Or nomination in two successive seasons.

On the international front, Aubameyang had a plethora of options to choose a nation from. Due to his rich heritage, the pacy forward was eligible to play for Italy, Spain as well as France. Although he did represent Les Bleus on the U21 stage, Aubameyang ended up choosing Gabon at senior level. With a modest 88th place in the FIFA rankings, Aubameyang could be Gabon's first and last representation in the Ballon d'Or shortlist.

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#1 Younis Mahmoud (Iraq)

Mahmoud won the golden boot at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup

The pre-Ronaldo-Messi era witnessed a lot of diversity during nominations of players in the final 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or. From Mali to Togo, the period of 2007-2008 saw a lot of rogue entries in the most prestigious award ceremony in football. However, no one could've predicted an Iraqi to finish above the likes of Samuel Eto'o, David Villa and Ryan Giggs in the 2007 Ballon d'Or rankings.

However, that is exactly how things unfolded, as Younis Mahmoud of Al-Gharafa finished 29th. While an unknown entity to the rest of the world, Mahmoud is an Iraqi legend and earned his Ballon d'Or nomination after captaining his side to Asian Cup glory.

Even though Iraq is one of the most recognizable nations on the planet, they are still obscure in purely footballing terms. Nevertheless, Mahmoud is a household name in the Middle East, having secured the most caps for Iraq during his prolonged career. One of the most unexpected Ballon d'Or nominations indeed.

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