Arsenal players who have made the Ballon D’or shortlist
Introduction
There has been a conveyor belt of world-class players who have starred at Highbury and the Emirates, from one of the biggest clubs in Europe. Arsenal’s history predates the Ballon d’Or by 68 years. Since its humble beginnings, dozens of Arsenal teams have gone on to win silverware. With the Ballon d’Or by far the most coveted personal accolade that any professional player can aspire to, let’s look at the top Gooners who have made the shortlist over the years, including those who have come agonisingly close to lifting it.
Bukayo Saka
We’ll start with the most recently shortlisted Arsenal player. Saka is widely renowned as one of the most extraordinary footballing talents on the planet. English football fans and analysts believe he’s part of a new crop of players that could lead the England team to glory in next year’s Euros.
Alongside the likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden, it looks like this young English talent could spearhead the men’s first significant trophy since 1966. One day, Saka could go on to win the Ballon d’Or – it is certainly not out of the equation. However, the Ballon d’Or 2023 was destined to end up in the hands of Lionel Messi, a player whose achievements and abilities are entirely different from anybody else in the game’s history.
Fellow countryman Diego Maradona is the only player who operates on the same level. This is an opinion shared by most professional or ex-professional players. However, suppose Arsenal graduate Bukayo can continue his consistent, high-quality performances – in that case, he should get a lot closer to these types of accolades if Arsenal can win some big trophies and he can play a pivotal role.
Martin Ødegaard
Young Norwegian Martin Ødegaard has been instrumental in Arsenal’s return as one of the top teams in the English game. Alongside his current teammate Saka, Ødegaard has found himself on the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or and is widely considered one of the best young players in the world. Although some fans have criticised the form of Martin and fellow Ballon d’Or nominee Erling Haaland for being unable to contribute more to the Norwegian team on a national scale, there’s no denying that he can perform for the Gooners when it matters.
Thierry Henry
Perhaps the most outstanding player to never win the Ballon d’Or, Thierry Henry was one of the greatest players of his generation. Saying that Thierry was shortlisted would be a disservice; he narrowly missed out on the trophy twice, in 2003 and 2004, gathering mountains of votes in successive years and being the figurehead of one of Arsenal’s greatest-ever teams.
Many journalists, players and fans still believe that he was the world’s finest player during this period, and the statistics and highlight reels put over a strong case. He was known for his tenacious blend of blistering pace, frightening shot power and immaculate dribbling ability. It was a terrifying mix that cemented Arsenal as one of the top European teams for large chunks of the early to mid-2000s, and Henry was a vital part of that.
Dennis Bergkamp
We can’t mention Henry without his formidable partner out on the pitch. The Dutchman was considered one of the most graceful and technically gifted players of the 1990s, and again, many believe he is one of the greatest players ever to win the trophy. Football fans of a certain age will remember Dennis for his magical goals for Arsenal, especially his magnificent goal against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup.
Cesc Fàbregas
During the transitionary period for Arsenal, when Henry left for Barcelona, the new stadium was all but finished and a young Spaniard named Cesc Fàbregas was causing a huge stir. Cesc is one of many players who suffered due to the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have dominated the trophy for 15 years – and a considerable chunk of Cesc’s prime. However, he was still a phenomenon, shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or in 2010. He later went to Barcelona and was part of Spain’s golden generation that dominated football from 2008 to 2012.
Conclusion
Over the last few decades, dozens of Arsenal players have been shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or.
If they continue on their current form of winning domestic trophies, and challenge the superiority of Manchester City in the English game, there will inevitably be more Arsenal players on the Ballon d’Or shortlist for next year’s awards.
See More:
- Arsenal Top 10 Goal Scorers Of All Time
- Top 10 Most Valuable Arsenal Players
- Top 5 Highest-Paid Arsenal Players 2023/24
- Ballon d’Or winners list: past all time winners list 1956-2023!
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