The Ballon d’Or, or the ‘Messi V Ronaldo’ award, as it may come to be known, will be handed out on Monday.
The award, which merged with FIFA’s Player of the Year Award in 2010, to become the FIFA Ballon d’Or, was originally given out in 1956 and has been won by some fantastic players.
From Zinedine Zidane and Johan Cruyff, to George Best and Marco van Basten and the aforementioned Messi and Ronaldo.
However, there’s also been some glaring oversights. We’ve had a look at the best players never to receive either the award, a placing or even a nomination.
Kenny Dalglish – 1978 – 85
In his debut Liverpool season, Kenny Dalglish scored 31 goals in 62 games, including the winning goal in the club’s second European Cup final. However, Kevin Keegan, the player Dalglish was signed to replace at Anfield, won the Ballon d’Or. Hans Krankl of Barcelona was second and Rob Rensenbrink of Anderlecht was third but there no was recognition for the Liverpool forward.
From Dalglish’s first year with the club to the last year English clubs competed in European competition before the Heysel ban, in 1985, only once did the forward make the Ballon d’Or rankings, when the Scot finished second to Michel Platini in 1983.
Considering Liverpool were the most successful team in Europe during this period, and Dalglish was the team’s best player, it’s hard to understand how the Scot only had a single placing in the Ballon d’Or awards.
Eric Cantona – 1996
‘You can’t win anything with kids,’ Alan Hansen famously said. However, it wasn’t the kids that won Manchester United a Premier League and FA Cup double in 1996. Alex Ferguson’s side had experienced players like Peter Schmeichel, Gary Pallister, Denis Irwin, Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs and Andy Cole. It also had Eric Cantona.
The Frenchman’s form in United’s title run-in, overcoming Newcastle’s 12 point lead, was astounding. In March ’96 the team played four games, winning each 1-0 and Cantona scored them all. The forward scored 19 goals that season, winning the Football Writers’ Player of the Year Award, and scoring the only goal in the FA Cup final win over Liverpool.
The Ballon d’Or in 1996 went to German defender Matthias Sammer, with Ronaldo in second place and Alan Shearer in third. While the FIFA Player of the Year award was awarded to Ronaldo, George Weah was voted second and Shearer third. All great players, but was Matthias Sammer or Alan Shearer more deserving than Cantona?
Sammer had an excellent European Championships, while Shearer was banging goals in for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle, but the Manchester United forward was decisive over the entirety of the year and was pivotal in deciding the destination of titles. Cantona’s omission is hard to fathom.
Roy Keane – 1999, 2000, 2001
Roy Keane played the best football of his career during Manchester United’s most successful years. The club won a historic treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles in 1999, the first English club to do so, and were the dominant force in England, becoming the first side in the Premier League era to win three consecutive titles. Keane was the team’s captain and driving force.
The Corkman’s performance against Juventus in the Champions League semi-final second leg has become legendary. Although he missed the final, and was sent off in the FA Cup semi-final, United wouldn’t have won the titles without Keane. He carried his form into the following season, when he won PFA Player of the Year, and then essentially dragged Ireland to the World Cup in 2002.
Keane was incredible for Ireland in 2001, scoring against Portugal at Lansdowne Road and dominating against the Netherlands in the pivotal game of the campaign.
In 1999, Keane’s teammate David Beckham finished second in the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards, but the United captain didn’t even place. Beckham had an excellent season, but was by no means better than Keane.
While in 2001 Michael Owen was crowned Ballon d’Or champion… Just let that sink in.
Luis Figo, Beckham, and Raul were voted the first, second and third best players in the world in 2001. Keane only received one vote. Louis van Gaal, then Netherlands manager, who lost his job after an Irish inspired Keane went to the World Cup at their expense, was the only voter who deemed Keane worthy of being considered one of the best players in the world.
The failure to recognise Keane’s performances during these years is astonishing.
Thierry Henry – 2003, 2004, 2006
Thierry Henry was at the peak of his powers from 2003 to 2006. The forward was Arsenal’s talisman as they went unbeaten in the 03/04 season, scoring 39 goals in 51 appearances, after getting 30 in 42 games the previous season.
Henry was also in stunning form in 2006. The Frenchman scored 33 goals in 45 games for the Gunners, as part of the side that narrowly lost the Champions League final to Barcelona, before helping his country to the World Cup final.
In 2006, Henry finished third in the Ballon d’Or, behind Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluigi Buffon. Both men were pivotal in Italy’s World Cup victory. However, it appears the only reason they’d been ranked above Henry was because of the World Cup win, which was decided on penalties.
If France had won would it have been Henry to receive the accolade?
An accolade Henry’s form in previous years meant he should’ve already held.
Luis Suarez – 2014, 2015
Luis Suarez may not have had much impact in the second half of 2014, but the struggles of Liverpool in his absence is perhaps the best indication of just how good the he was until his infamous bite. Although you’d be very hard pressed to argue for Suarez’s place in the top three, his omission from the Ballon d’or 23 player shortlist in 2014 was ridiculous.
The Uruguayan was crowned PFA Player of the Year and Football Writers Player of the year after an incredible season for the Anfield club. Liverpool almost won the most unlikely Premier League title ever and Suarez was the primary reason they went so close. The Uruguayan then suffered a knee injury, underwent surgery but somehow returned to action within three weeks to knock England out of the World Cup with two goals.
The only feasible reason for Suarez’s omission appears to be his bite on Giorgio Chiellini. However, the award isn’t meant to be about who’s the nicest, most well-behaved player in world. The Ballon d’Or is supposed to recognise the best players in the world and Suarez is unquestionably among the best.
For this year’s award, although Cristiano Ronaldo is the current holder of the Ballon d’Or, was he really in as good form as Suarez during 2015?
Did he do this to David Luiz?
En route to Barcelona's victorious Champions League run, Luis Suarez made David Luiz look a fool as Barça ran riot: https://t.co/no3mL3vtPW
— Read La Liga (@ReadLaLiga) December 31, 2015
Suarez was fantastic throughout 2015 as Barcelona won five trophies. He scored key goals during during Barcelona’s successful Champions League campaign, fitted in seamlessly with Lionel Messi and Neymar, and arguably improved their games.
https://twitter.com/SuarezStats/status/682514677134405632
Suarez, along with Neymar, also stepped up when Barca lost their talisman to injury for two months last year to the extent that the greatest footballer ever wasn’t particularly missed.
His teammates Messi and Neymar rightly take their place on the podium for tomorrow’s ceremony, but it’s tough on Suarez to miss out.
