With five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo looking all but certain to finish his career without ever winning the FIFA World Cup, here’s a look at a handful of stars who have won the Golden Ball but never lifted football’s most prestigious trophy.
Portugal’s wait for a World Cup title will continue after they were knocked out of the 2026 tournament by Spain in the Round of 16.
It now appears almost certain that their talisman and captain, Ronaldo, will end his career without winning a World Cup, making him arguably one of the greatest footballers of all time to never lift the trophy.
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With the second-most Ballon d’Or awards behind arch-rival Lionel Messi, Ronaldo will be 45 years old by the time the next World Cup takes place.
Although he is yet to formally announce his retirement from international football, it is increasingly unlikely that he will feature at the next edition, which will be co-hosted by Portugal, Spain and Morocco.
So close,yet so far…
Other Ballon d’Or winners who have been denied a World Cup title include Luka Modrić, who came close in 2018 when Croatia finished runners-up to France.
Notably, it was that same year that Modrić won the Ballon d’Or, thanks in part to his performances at the World Cup in Russia.
The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema also never won a World Cup, having been left out of France’s 2018 title-winning squad.
Scroll through the gallery at the top to see the other players included on this list.
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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