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Every player worth his salt dreams of winning the Ballon d’Or one day. However, laying hands on the most coveted accolade in soccer is easier said than done. One must fend off competition from the best players in the world to get into the shortlist. Then, they must keep their head down and prove to the selectors that they are worthy of being called the best player in the world.
As we have witnessed throughout history — most recently in 2024 —, some players fail to make the Ballon d’Or shortlist despite giving their all throughout the year. The only way to guarantee inclusion is to deliver performances that remove the room for speculation.
In today’s article, we will check out some legends who became a frequent contender by delivering jaw-dropping performances year after year. Here are the top five players with the most Ballon d’Or nominations in history:
#5 Karim Benzema: 12 Nominations
Karim Benzema Won The Ballon d’Or In 2022
One of the finest goalscorers of the 21st century, Karim Benzema has made the Ballon d’Or shortlist a whopping 12 times. He has received four more nominations than arguably the best player in France’s soccer history, Zinedine Zidane.
After falling short the past 10 times, Benzema finally ended his wait for the Ballon d’Or in 2022. He enjoyed his best-ever season with Real Madrid in 2021-22, scoring 44 times and providing 15 assists in 46 games across competitions. His goals and assists helped Los Blancos to the UEFA Champions League trophy, the La Liga title, and the Supercopa de Espana.
#4 Johan Cruyff: 12 Nominations
Johan Cruyff Won 3 Ballon d’Or Awards
Ajax, Barcelona, and Netherlands legend Johan Cruyff earned 12 Ballon d’Or nominations during his illustrious career, winning the coveted Golden Ball thrice. He won his first one after helping Ajax to the European Cup at the end of the 1970-71 season. The second one came in 1973 after he led Ajax to an Eredivisie-European Cup double. The last one,…
Source link : https://sportslens.com/news/most-ballon-d-or-nominations-lionel-messi/
Author : Sushan Chakraborty
Publish date : 2024-09-11 09:50:35
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