"The names are like a who's who of footballing greats: Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Andres Iniesta, David Beckham... They've all had glittering careers and won countless trophies, but there's something else they all have in common - none of them has won the men's Ballon d'Or. The prestigious annual award has been handed out since 1956 when two French sportswriters wanted to recognise the world's best talent."
"There are superstars throughout the winners' list, with Zinedine Zidane and Brazil team-mates Ronaldinho and Ronaldo all scooping the top award. A period of domination started in 2008 as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi battled it out for the number one spot. In the decade that followed, no-one else got a look-in as the two greatest players on the planet shared the top prize."
The Ballon d'Or has been awarded annually since 1956, originally to European footballers and now open worldwide. Winners include superstars such as Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominated the award from 2008 for a decade, preventing others from winning. Several high-profile players with glittering careers never won the men's Ballon d'Or, including Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Robert Lewandowski, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Andrés Iniesta and David Beckham. Dennis Bergkamp earned major honours with Arsenal—three league titles including the 2003–04 'Invincibles' season and three FA Cups—but his only Ballon d'Or top-three finishes came before joining the Gunners.
Read at www.bbc.com
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