5 players who lifted the Ballon d'Or without winning the Champions League

FC Barcelona v Athletic Club - La Liga
FC Barcelona v Athletic Club - La Liga

#2 Roberto Baggio (1993)

Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio

Roberto Baggio won the Ballon d'Or award after a scintillating season for Juventus in 1993. The playmaker has played for some of Europe's biggest clubs like Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan but the number of titles he has won in his career is no testament to the divine gifts he possessed on the pitch.

The Italian has two Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, a UEFA Cup and an Intertoto title to his name but has notably never lifted the Champions League title.

Baggio was renowned for his vision in set-pieces, his free-kicks and his ability to dribble past players in one-on-one situations.

The former Inter Milan man is often remembered for his devastating penalty miss against Brazil in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, another title that eluded him in his career.

#1 Pavel Nedved (2003)

Sampdoria v Juventus
Sampdoria v Juventus

In 2003, former Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved became only the second Czech player to win the Ballon d'Or after Josef Masopust, for a season that saw him score 14 goals in 45 games in all competitions.

The midfielder helped the Old Lady to the Scudetto, but it was his contribution in the Champions League that was the most memorable.

Nedved scored five times in fifteen European appearances, including a decisive goal at the Camp Nou in the quarter-finals of the competition.

Despite having been a part of some memorable nights in the Champions League, the former Bianconeri star failed to inspire his side to the European title. The closest he came to winning the coveted title was during their Champions League final against Milan in 2003.

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