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The Top 15 'Best Players' From Every Ballon d'Or Since 2005

The Top 15 'Best Players' From Every Ballon d'Or Since 2005

Some interesting names have featured in the past.

Jack Kenmare

Jack Kenmare

The 2019 Ballon d'Or ceremony is upon us this evening as the world's best players come together to challenge for the most coveted individual prize in football.

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric broke the streak of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo last year when he lifted the trophy.

This time around, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk will be challenging.

In years gone by, though, it has become the norm to overshadow nominees when it comes to the Ballon d'Or, so we thought it was necessary to celebrate those who have received nominations in the past, but are often pushed to one side.

Here is every Ballon d'Or nominee from 1-15 since the year 2005. Make sure to look out for some surprise names throughout:

2005:

  1. Ronaldinho
  2. Frank Lampard
  3. Steven Gerarrd
  4. Thierry Henry
  5. Andriy Shevchenko
  6. Paolo Maldini
  7. Adriano
  8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
  9. Kaka
  10. Samuel Eto'o
  11. John Terry
  12. Juninho
  13. Claude Makelele
  14. Juan Roman Riquelme
  15. Petr Cech

2006:

  1. Fabio Cannavaro
  2. Gianluigi Buffon
  3. Thierry Henry
  4. Ronaldinho
  5. Zinedine Zidane
  6. Samuel Eto'o
  7. Miroslav Klose
  8. Didier Drogba
  9. Andrea Pirlo
  10. Jens Lehmann
  11. Deco
  12. Kaka
  13. Franck Ribery/Gattuso
  14. Patrick Vieira
  15. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cannavaro won the Ballon d'Or after leading Italy to World Cup success. Image: PA Images
Cannavaro won the Ballon d'Or after leading Italy to World Cup success. Image: PA Images

2007:

  1. Kaka
  2. Cristiano Ronaldo
  3. Lionel Messi
  4. Didier Drogba
  5. Andrea Pirlo
  6. Ruud Van Nistelrooy
  7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
  8. Cesc Fabregas
  9. Robinho
  10. Francesco Totti
  11. Frederic Kanoute
  12. Ronaldinho
  13. Steven Gerrard
  14. Juan Roman Riquelme
  15. Dani Alves

2008:

  1. Cristiano Ronaldo
  2. Lionel Messi
  3. Fernando Torres
  4. Iker Casillas
  5. Xavi
  6. Andrey Arshavin
  7. David Villa
  8. Kaka
  9. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
  10. Steven Gerrard
  11. Marcos Senna
  12. Emmanuel Adebayor
  13. Wayne Rooney
  14. Sergio Aguero
  15. Frank Lampard

Image: PA
Image: PA

2009:

  1. Lionel Messi
  2. Cristiano Ronaldo
  3. Xavi
  4. Andres Iniesta
  5. Samuel Eto'o
  6. Kaka
  7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
  8. Wayne Rooney
  9. Steven Gerrard
  10. Didier Drogba
  11. Fernando Torres
  12. Cesc Febregas
  13. Edin Dzeko
  14. Ryan Giggs
  15. Thierry Henry

2010:

  1. Lionel Messi
  2. Andres Iniesta
  3. Xavi
  4. Wesley Sneijder
  5. Diego Forlan
  6. Cristiano Ronaldo
  7. Iker Casillas
  8. David Villa
  9. Didier Drogba
  10. Xabi Alonso
  11. Carles Puyol
  12. Samuel Eto'o
  13. Mesut Ozil
  14. Arjen Robben
  15. Thomas Muller
Image: PA
Image: PA

2011:

  1. Lionel Messi
  2. Cristiano Ronaldo
  3. Xavi
  4. Andres Iniesta
  5. Wayne Rooney
  6. Luis Suarez
  7. Diego Forlan
  8. Samuel Eto'o
  9. Iker Casillas
  10. Neymar
  11. Mesut Ozil
  12. Wesley Sneijder
  13. Thomas Muller
  14. David Villa
  15. Bastian Schweinsteiger

2012:

  1. Lionel Messi
  2. Cristiano Ronaldo
  3. Andres Iniesta
  4. Xavi
  5. Radamel Falcao
  6. Iker Casillas
  7. Andrea Pirlo
  8. Didier Drogba
  9. Robin Van Persie
  10. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
  11. Xabi Alonso
  12. Yaya Toure
  13. Neymar
  14. Mesut Ozil
  15. Wayne Rooney

    Image: PA
    Image: PA

2013:

  1. Cristiano Ronaldo
  2. Lionel Messi
  3. Franck Ribery
  4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
  5. Neymar
  6. Andres Iniesta
  7. Robin Van Persie
  8. Arjen Robben
  9. Gareth Bale
  10. Andrea Pirlo
  11. Radamel Falcao
  12. Yaya Toure
  13. Robert Lewandowski
  14. Phillip Lahm
  15. Xavi

2014:

  1. Cristiano Ronaldo
  2. Lionel Messi
  3. Manuel Neuer
  4. Arjen Robben
  5. Thomas Muller
  6. Phillip Lahm
  7. Neymar
  8. James Rodriguez
  9. Toni Kroos
  10. Angel Di Maria
  11. Diego Costa
  12. Gareth Bale
  13. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
  14. Yaya Toure
  15. Mario Gotze

    Image: PA
    Image: PA

2015:

  1. Lionel Messi
  2. Cristiano Ronaldo
  3. Neymar
  4. Robert Lewandowski
  5. Luis Suarez
  6. Thomas Muller
  7. Manuel Neuer
  8. Eden Hazard
  9. Andres Iniesta
  10. Alexis Sanchez
  11. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
  12. Yaya Toure
  13. Sergio Aguero
  14. Javier Mascherano
  15. Paul Pogba

2016:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo
2. Lionel Messi
3. Antoine Greizmann
4. Luis Suarez
5. Neymar
6. Gareth Bale
7. Riyad Mahrez
8. Jamie Vardy
9. Gianluigi Buffon
10. Pepe
11. Pierre Emerick Aubameyang
12. Rui Patricio
13. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
14. Paul Pogba
15. Arturo Vidal

2017:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo
2. Lionel Messi
3. Neymar
4. Gianluigi Buffon
5. Luka Modric
6. Sergio Ramos
7. Kylian Mbappe
8. N'Golo Kante
9. Robert Lewandowski
10. Harry Kane
11. Edinson Cavani
12. Isco
13. Luis Suarez
14. Kevin de Bruyne
15. Paulo Dybala

Image: PA
Image: PA

2018:

1. Luka Modric
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
3. Antoine Griezmann
4. Kylian Mbappe
5. Lionel Messi
6. Mohamed Salah
7. Raphael Varane
8. Eden Hazard
9. Kevin de Bruyne
10. Harry Kane
11. N'Golo Kante
12. Neymar
13. Luis Suarez
14. Thibaut Courtois
15. Paul Pogba

Who do you think will win the 2019 Ballon d'Or?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: Footy Renders

Topics: Football, Lionel Messi, Ballon d'Or, Virgil Van Dijk, Cristiano Ronaldo