What Separates a Great Player from a Legendary One: Inside the Ballon d'Or History We weren’t able to create a summary for you. Refresh your page to try again. Conceived by sports writers Gabriel Hanot and Jacques Ferran, the Ballon d'Or was based exclusively on voting by football journalists up until 2006. Originally, it was awarded only to players from Europe and was also known as the European Footballer of the Year award. As we edge closer to the 2025 winner being crowned, GOAL has ranked the top 10 greatestfootballers to never win the Ballon d'Or, starting with a man who scored a whopping 573 career... Sep 22, 2025 · Beginning with the award's inception in 1956, only players from European nations contracted to European clubs were eligible to win the Ballon d'Or. However, that restrictive nature has... In 2025, neither Messi nor Ronaldo were nominated for the Ballon d’Or award. The pair of all-time greats failed to be shortlisted for the second year in a row. Sep 22, 2025 · The Ballon d’Or is football’s most prestigious individual prize, yet some of the greatestplayers in history never got to lift it. From prolific goalscorers to midfield maestros, these icons shaped the game — but never claimed the Golden Ball. Sep 26, 2025 · Unpack the evolving Ballon d'Or criteria and discover how performance, influence, and legacy shape the race for soccer’s top solo award. Sep 22, 2025 · Discover the surprising list of football icons like Neymar, Lewandowski, and Beckham who, despite legendary careers, never claimed the coveted Ballon d'Or award.