On August 13, France Football released the 30-man shortlist for the 2022 Ballon d'Or award. As always, the list has generated some controversy, with Lionel Messi being at the heart of it.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar has failed to make the shortlist for the first time in over a decade, ending an enviable nomination run. His PSG teammate Neymar has also been left out, while Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has been snubbed despite having an excellent 2021-22 campaign.
With the award set to be presented on October 7, there is plenty of time left to speculate about the final standings. So today we will focus on the nominations instead, taking a look at the names who have frequented the Ballon d'Or nomination list since its inception in 1956.
Now, without further ado, let’s check out the 10 names with the highest number of Ballon d'Or nominations in history:
Source: LiveScore
#10 Thierry Henry – 9 nominations
Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry made the Ballon d'Or shortlist nine times during his career.
An excellent striker with the ability to effortlessly find his teammates, Henry turned out for several major European clubs. But he arguably played his best football at Arsenal.
Henry did not win the Ballon d'Or in his professional career but finished second (behind Pavel Nedved) in the 2003 standings.
His second podium finish came in 2006, when he finished behind Fabio Cannavaro (winner) and Gianluigi Buffon in third place.
He was an Arsenal player on both occasions.
#9 Neymar - 9 nominations
Primed to be a worthy successor to Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar has seemingly lost his way.
He has so far received nine Ballon d'Or nominations, but is yet to win the prestigious accolade.
Neymar has thus far been on the podium twice. His first appearance came as a Barcelona player in 2015, when he finished behind Messi (winner) and Ronaldo in the race.
Two years later, he once again finished in third place, only this time Ronaldo won the accolade ahead of Messi.
#8 Gianluigi Buffon - 11 nominations
The only keeper to be on this list, Buffon is one of the best in the history of the game.
The Juventus legend, who currently plies his trade at Parma, has received 11 nominations thus far, but has never won one.
Buffon, who won 10 Serie A titles with the Bianconeri, has only one Ballon d'Or podium finish to his name.
Following Italy’s World Cup triumph in 2006, he was nominated for the personal accolade and finished in second place. His compatriot Cannavaro ended up nicking it in the end.
#7 Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 11 nominations
One of the most outlandish and outspoken footballers of all time, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has received 11 nominations in his career.
Unfortunately, the 40-year-old striker is yet to get his hands on the coveted prize.
Ibrahimovic, who currently plies his trade at AC Milan, does not have any Ballon d'Or podium finishes, which is surprising considering the career he has had.
However, knowing the Swede, he might not yet have given up hope of lifting the prestigious accolade.
#6 Karim Benzema - 12 nominations
No French player in the history of the game has received more Ballon d'Or nominations than Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema.
The 12-time nominee has stepped up his game since Ronaldo’s departure from Madrid in 2018 and is a white-hot favorite to win the accolade this year.
Benzema scored 44 goals and claimed 15 assists in 46 appearances to fire Los Blancos to the Champions League-La Liga double in the 2021-22 season.
It would be surprising if he doesn't win the award this year.
#5 Franz Beckenbauer - 12 nominations
A force of nature, German legend Franz Beckenbauer received a whopping 12 Ballon d'Or nominations over the course of his decorated career.
The legendary sweeper not only won a World Cup and a European Championship with his country, but also helped Bayern Munich to three European Cup triumphs, amongst other honors.
For his exploits, Beckenbauer won the accolade twice. His first came in 1972 and the second, four years later, in 1976.
#4 Johan Cruyff - 12 nominations
Very few personalities can fathom holding a candle to the impact the late Johan Cruyff had on football.
He revolutionized the game as a player at Ajax, built a legacy at Barcelona, and then did it all over again as a manager. In many ways, he was the father of the eye-catching football we see and enjoy today.
The three-time Champions League winner with Ajax was nominated 12 times for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award. Out of those 12 nominations, he won it thrice, in 1971, 1973, and 1974.
#3 Paolo Maldini - 13 nominations
The defender with the most nominations in history (13), Paolo Maldini is widely hailed as one of the best players of all time.
The AC Milan legend was equally imperious as a left-back and centre-back. He went on to win a total of 26 trophies, including three Champions League triumphs and seven Serie A titles, with the Italian giants.
Despite being arguably the best defender of his time, Maldini never won the Ballon d'Or. He, however, had two podium finishes, first in 1994 and then again in 2003.
In 1994, he finished third, behind Hristo Stoichkov (winner) and Roberto Baggio. Nine years later, Pavel Nedved (winner) and Thierry Henry finished ahead of him.
#2 Lionel Messi - 15 nominations
Messi has missed out on the 30-man shortlist this year, failing to do so for the first time in 15 consecutive editions.
Barcelona's record goalscorer endured a rough spell in his debut season at PSG, scoring only 11 goals in 34 matches across competitions. Although he ended up winning the Ligue 1 title, it was not enough to earn him a nomination.
Messi, of course, is the most successful player in the history of the prestigious Ballon d'Or award, winning it for a whopping seven times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, and 2021).
He collected the award six times as a Barcelona player and once in PSG's colors.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - 18 nominations
Although Ronaldo is behind Messi in terms of Ballon d'Or wins, he has certainly beaten the Argentine when it comes to nominations.
Included in the preliminary shortlist for 18 consecutive times, Ronaldo is the most frequent name on the list. The Manchester United superstar went trophyless in the 2021-22 campaign, but his 24 invaluable goals were enough to win him a place in this year’s 30-man shortlist.
The Real Madrid legend has won the Ballon d'Or a whopping five times, with only Messi winning it more times than him.
He bagged the award first time in 2008 and has won it four more times since (2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017).
Ronaldo was a Manchester United player when he won his first Ballon d'Or. On other four occasions, he proudly presented them at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu.
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