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#3 Manuel Neuer (2014)
Manuel Neuer finished in third place behind Messi and winner Ronaldo at the 2014 Ballon d'Or ceremony, despite having enjoyed a scintillating season both domestically and internationally.
The German shot-stopper was expected to be the first goalkeeper to win the prestigious award since Lev Yashin in 1963, but he was infamously snubbed in favour of the ever-motivated Ronaldo.
Neuer thrived under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich, putting in exemplary displays to help his side retain the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal, following a superb treble the year before. The defending champions won the league a month before the campaign's conclusion, with competitors such as Borussia Dortmund trailing far behind.
The German's stature and his ability to play the ball from the back revolutionised what people knew as goalkeeping. The FIFA World Cup saw him demonstrate these skills to the highest of his abilities, resulting in only six conceded goals throughout the tournament. The Bayern Munich shot-stopper unsurprisingly won the Golden Glove that year.
Neuer's 2014 Ballon d'Or snub resulted in several publications and football personalities condemning the decision as unjust, but the goalkeeper himself was at peace with the decision.
