'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#2 Thierry Henry
While being one of the finest footballers to have ever graced the Premier League is a good enough reason to be on this list, the prime reason why he is on the list is due to the controversial circumstances in which he missed out on the Ballon d'Or.
He came 2nd to Pavel Nedved in 2003 and 3rd to Fabio Cannavaro in 2006. With many believing that the Frenchman was robbed of his award in 2003 as Nedved's achievement came nowhere to close to Henry's that year.
It'll make you scratch your head when you'll come to know that despite scoring a career high of 39 goals, winning the player of the season, winning the golden boot and pushing Arsenal to an unbeaten Premier League success that season, the Frenchman still didn't win the Ballon d'Or.
#1 Raúl González
The former Real Madrid captain is the third highest goal scorer in the Champions League history and has banged in a total of 275 league goals across various domestic disciplines.
Acclaimed as a legend for his service to Los Blancos, he won 10 domestic titles and 3 Champions league titles with Real Madrid while scoring in two of the finals. During his 17 year long career with the Los Blancos and making over 550 appearances he never received a red card.
In 2001 he came second to Michael Owen in the race to the prestigious award. In all honesty, Owen had an exceptional season that year. But seriously how Raul never won the Ballon d'Or is a great enigma.
