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We take a look at the players who would have won the Ballon d'Or had it not been for Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
We're blessed to be living in the same era as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. They are two of the best footballers of all time and have squared off against each other on multiple occasions with their rivalry reaching unforeseen heights as they lined up for Real Madrid and Barcelona - two of the fiercest rival clubs in football.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have, for so long, been on a different level compared to their contemporaries. They enjoyed a duopoly over the Ballon d'Or which is the most prestigious individual prize in football. The two have won 11 of the last 12 Ballon d'Or trophies between them.
Due to their dominance, several world-class players have missed out on the chance to win the Ballon d'Or and today, we take a look at eight players who would have won football's most coveted individual honour if not for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
2008: Fernando Torres
Peak Fernando Torres was an untameable beast who used to give nightmares to even the toughest defenders on the planet. Though his peak did not last for a very long time, Fernando Torres was simply uncontainable for both club and country in 2008.
He played a major hand in Spain's Euro triumph in 2008 and scored the winning goal. He scored 33 goals in 46 appearances for Liverpool as well that season.
2009: Xavi Hernandez
Both Barcelona and Spain used to be unstoppable during this period and it was largely down to the midfield trifecta of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets. Xavi was in the form of his life in 2009. He won the Champions League in 2009 and assisted Messi's goal in the final.
Xavi registered a whopping 31 assists for Barcelona across all competitions in the 2008-09 season, playing from central midfield. He also scored 10 goals.
2010: Andres Iniesta
To this day, people are divided on Lionel Messi ultimately winning the 2010 Ballon d'Or. The common consensus is that Don Andres should have taken it home after scoring the winner in the 2010 World Cup final and generally being the best footballer in the world.
His snub was so controversial that France Football sent him an apology.
2011: Xavi Hernandez
Xavi continued his sublime form as Barcelona and Spain dominated the club and international circuits respectively. Xavi was an integral part of what is arguably the finest football team that has taken to the field in the 21st century in 2011 and they went onto win the UEFA Champions League.
2012: Andres Iniesta
Barcelona's midfield was simply unstoppable during this time and even Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that it was impossible to take the ball off Xavi and Iniesta. They were simply the best at what they did and they made Barcelona an unstoppable force in Europe.
Iniesta's passing and dribbling made him a midfielder with whom you simply could not negotiate. He'd glide past opposition players like a breeze and his interplay with Lionel Messi in particular was the stuff of dreams. He also worked alongside Xavi and Sergio Busquets like a charm.
2013: Franck Ribery
Like Andres Iniesta in 2010, Franck Ribery has every right to feel aggrieved about his snub in 2013. Franck Ribery was a man on a mission for Bayern Munich that year and had won the lot - the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal, UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Ribery's vision and the technical ability to execute it on a football pitch was second to none in 2013 and it's a pity that this is the closest he came to winning the Ballon d'Or.
2014: Manuel Neuer
Manuel Neuer was a behemoth between the sticks in 2014. He won the World Cup with Germany and also won the Golden Gloves for his efforts. The German international was nearly impossible to beat and his overall game was so advanced that it almost felt like we simply hadn't seen any goalkeeper who was as distinct as Neuer was.
Neuer's sweeping skills were much lauded and his shot-stopping prowess, particularly in one-on-one situations, garnered a lot of praise.
2015: Neymar
The year where Barcelona ran their oppositions ragged as the MSN took over. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr. were simply unstoppable and the Brazilian enjoyed his most prolific season at the Camp Nou in 2015. He scored a whopping 39 goals for Barcelona but couldn't get his hands on the Ballon d'Or.
Neymar Jr. was a pain in the neck for defenders. His silky feet and eye for goal made him a nightmare for any opposition. He was scoring goals for fun and also worked wonderfully in tandem with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi. Together, they were simply magical to watch.
2016: Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann enjoyed a dream run in 2016. He won the Golden Boot as France lost the Euros in the final that year and Griezmann was adjudged the best player of the tournament. He had also just enjoyed his most prolific season for Atletico Madrid.
2017: Neymar
In his final season at Barcelona, Neymar was a world beater who was knocking in goals for fun. The Brazilian scored 27 goals from 30 appearances in La Liga and was tearing defenders into smithereens all throughout the season. He made it to the FIFA FIFPRO World 11 but missed out on the Ballon d'Or.
2018: Luka Modric
The only aberration in an otherwise perfect record shared by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Luka Modric finally broke the duopoly enjoyed by the legendary duo. Modric put on some wonderful performances for Real Madrid from the center of the park in the 2017-18 season.
He won the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid and also made it to the finals of the FIFA World Cup with Croatia and was arguably the best player for both club and country.
2019: Virgil van Dijk
To be fair, Virgil van Dijk did just about everything he could have done to rob Lionel Messi off the Ballon d'Or in 2019. He had just won the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool and the Merseysiders had lost out on the Premier League title by a point.
There was simply no getting past the Dutchman as he started to look like a bargain even for £75 million. The last time a defender won the Ballon d'Or was way back in 2006 and that was Fabio Cannavaro.
