EPL_Made the Ballon d’Or Top 3 (1)
Winning the prestigious Ballon d’Or is perhaps the greatest individual honour a footballer can receive. It is the golden stamp of approval from the sport in its entirety, essentially labelling the holder as the best on the planet over the course of that year.
From the likes of Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema to Marco van Basten and Zinedine Zidane, countless names have been immortalized by this award, some of whom have won it on more than one occasion. The legends in British footballing folklore have not been strangers to the Ballon d'Or either - with stars like Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan having lifted the trophy during their glittering careers.
But for every winner from Britain, there are several others who have come agonizingly close. Despite a scintillating calendar year of performances, these icons have managed to make it as far as the podium, but have never quite clinched the top spot. GIVEMESPORT has compiled an XI of such players and, although none of them have a Ballon d'Or in their cabinet, this line-up could still hold its own against the very best.
John Charles
Goalkeeper
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Only six goalkeepers in history have ever finished in the top three for the Ballon d'Or, and only one has won the award - Lev Yashin 1963. It's not common for shot-stoppers to rank highly in such standings, and it would take an incredible feat for one to beat the pattern.
With no British goalkeeper ever to have been on the podium, it leaves the spot open - perhaps Welsh legend John Charles could fill the role. One of the most versatile players in British football history, the former Leeds United and Juventus man was famously capable of playing at both ends of the pitch, from striker to centre-back.
It's practically unheard of in football, but the 6-foot-2 Charles made it work thanks to his technical ability, mentality and ridiculous aerial prowess. He finished 3rd in the rankings for the 1959 Ballon d'Or as an outfielder, and with his height and skill-set in mind, he may well have found a way to become a useful shot-stopper too!
Neville Southall, Dai Davies, Paul Jones all in Wales kit with Wales background flag
Bobby Moore
Centre-Back
Captain of England's one and only World Cup-winning squad in 1966, Bobby Moore holds a special place in British football. He finished fourth for the Ballon d'Or that year too, but he made an even stronger push for the award four years later - finishing in second place behind eventual winner Gerd Muller in 1970.
England only made it as far as the quarter-finals of the World Cup that year, but Moore enjoyed a stellar campaign for himself. One of his best moments came in the group-stage clash with Brazil, when the ex-West Ham man made a defining tackle to deny Jairzinho - which was dubbed analogous to "superman stopping a train".
Duncan Edwards
Centre-Back
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Many people regard Manchester United legend Bobby Charlton as one of the greatest English players of all time, and rightly so. Very few could match the Ballon d'Or winner in his heyday, but he himself admitted there was one player he always felt "inferior" to - Duncan Edwards.
Born in Dudley, the defensive midfielder earned plaudits for his ridiculously complete skill-set, and he led Manchester United to consecutive first-division titles between 1955 and 1957. His admirable contributions saw him reach a remarkable third-place finish in the 1957 Ballon d'Or as well.
Sadly, Edwards was one of the 23 who passed away during the Munich air disaster in 1958 - the Englishman would almost certainly have gone on to win further success for club and country had the tragic event not transpired.
Billy Wright
Centre-Back
Billy Wright England Captain
Billy Wright England Captain
When Duncan Edwards finished third in the race for the 1957 Ballon d'Or, he was beaten to a higher place on the podium by none other than his fellow England teammate, Billy Wright.
One of the greatest players in Wolves' history, Wright spent his entire career serving at Molineux, amassing over 500 appearances. He was pivotal to the club's most successful era in which they won three top-division titles in the span of just six years.
Wright came agonizingly close to becoming the first ever England defender to win the Ballon d'Or, only being denied by Alfredo Di Stefano's scintillating 1957 campaign.
David Beckham
Right Midfielder
David Beckham is a personality who will be remembered for years to come. But before he became a cultural icon, he was first an exceptionally gifted footballer. A star both on and off the pitch, the former England international had the unique ability to drop the ball on a sixpence from halfway across the pitch - something which very few in history have been able to replicate.
Beckham helped Manchester United to six Premier League titles, including a historical treble, with his wand of a right foot, finishing as the runner-up to the 1999 Ballon d'Or behind Rivaldo as a result. A move to Real Madrid somewhat stunted his career, and many believe he may well have gone on to claim the prestigious trophy had he stayed at Old Trafford for longer.
Frank Lampard
Central Midfielder
The record-breaking goalscorer in Chelsea's history, it's truly unfathomable how Frank Lampard managed to put up the numbers he did from central midfield. He is one of the greatest midfielders in football history, and he came very close to being named the outright greatest player in the world in 2005.
It was the year in which the Blues claimed the League Cup and the Premier League title - the first of back-to-back competition wins in 2005 and 2006. Lampard was one of the best in the world in his position, and he showed that by helping his team to a semi-finals place in the Champions League that year as well, though he was unable to beat eventual-winner Ronaldinho to the Ballon d'Or.
Steven Gerrard
Central Midfielder
From 3-0 down to AC Milan in the 54th minute of the 2005 Champions League final to tied 3-3 by the 60th, Liverpool produced one of the greatest comebacks ever seen in football. At the heart of it was Steven Gerrard, who saw his name shoot up the Ballon d'Or rankings to third place that year as a result.
The match displayed what Gerrard was capable of, not just as a technically and physically gifted midfielder, but also as a leader of men. His glittering career in Merseyside saw him lift a number of other domestic trophies, including two FA Cups and three League Cups. He was an icon at international level too, earning over 100 caps.
Jimmy Johnstone
Right Midfielder
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Football in the 1960s was much less kind in comparison to the modern day, which is why circumstances must have been tough for the 5-foot-4 Jimmy Johnstone. Not to mention the Scotsman was plying his trade at Celtic - a club with a long-running history of no-nonsense players.
That was no obstacle for the wide man though, and he ultimately ended his career as one of the most talented to have ever donned the Bhoys' badge. His silky footwork was simply too elusive to ignore, and his incredible efforts in helping his side win the 1967 European Cup saw him earn a third-place ranking in that year's Ballon d'Or behind Bobby Charlton and Florian Albert.
Kenny Dalglish
Attacking Midfielder
Liverpool icon Kenny Dalglish famously finished runners-up to the 1983 Ballon d'Or behind only Michel Platini, thanks to his domestic double-winning campaign. This was also around the time when the Scotsman formed a devastating partnership with Ian Rush which was ultimately pivotal to the Reds' success in this era.
Dalglish ended his storied Liverpool tenure with a remarkable three European Cups among an array of other achievements. At international level, he managed over 100 caps, and he still remains his nation's all-time record goalscorer with 30 to his name, joint with Denis Law.
Gary Lineker
Striker
Scoring a hat-trick in the El Clasico - one of the most fierce derbies of all time - is no mean feat, and there is a particular list of icons who have engraved their names in the history books by doing this. Gary Lineker is among this very group of players, and that's just one of his many achievements.
The former England talisman netted 48 times from 80 caps, proving to be one of England's greatest ever strikers. He even managed to scoop up the 1986 World Cup Golden Boot with his goalscoring exploits and that was the same year in which he finished second to only Igor Belanov for the Ballon d'Or.
Alan Shearer
Striker
Silverware might have evaded the ex-Newcastle superstar, but goals certainly didn't. Alan Shearer ended his Premier League career with a stunning 260 goals in 441 appearances, which to this day is yet to be bettered by any other player.
He also managed to win a Premier League gold medal with Blackburn Rovers in 1995, but it was the following year which was perhaps the most successful for Shearer. A scintillating campaign with the England national team saw him win the Euros 1996 Golden Boot, and he even once admitted he thought he had done enough that year, on both a club and international level, to finish top of the podium for the Ballon d'Or, but he was ultimately beaten by Matthias Sammer and Ronaldo Nazario.