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

#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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