The 70th Ballon d'Or will be awarded on Monday evening at the London Palladium, with the ceremony honouring Sir Stanley Matthews, the first winner of the prize in 1956. While one player will be crowned the world's best, another must settle for second place in the voting.
Lionel Messi has won the award eight times, while Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed it on five occasions. The list of those who have finished as runners-up without ever winning includes some of the sport's most celebrated names, and Express Sport has ranked the 17 best among them.
From Deco to Davor Suker
Deco, ranked 17th, won two Champions League titles with two different clubs, Porto and Barcelona, as a key midfield presence. He was named UEFA Club Footballer of the Year in 2004 but was beaten to the Ballon d'Or by Andriy Shevchenko.
Davor Suker, at 16, is described as a Croatian hero who brought his nation into the spotlight at France '98 and was a European champion with Real Madrid. Zinedine Zidane ensured he finished second in the voting.
Lampard, Van Dijk and Raul
Frank Lampard, ranked 15th, is a Chelsea immortal whose 211 goals for the club set new records. He came close in 2005 but faced a prime Ronaldinho. Virgil van Dijk, at 14, is one of the few players on the list still active. The Dutchman is a two-time top-flight winner and claimed the Champions League during a period of Liverpool success defined by his physical dominance and composure. Messi narrowly beat him to the award in 2019.
Raul, ranked 13th, won three Champions League titles and holds the all-time appearance record for Real Madrid with 741 outings. Michael Owen's Ballon d'Or win came at his expense.
