In 2001, Michael Owen became the only Liverpool player ever to win the Ballon d'Or to date. His efforts were pivotal, as Liverpool also swept up the FA and League Cups, before besting Alaves 5-4 in a thrilling UEFA Cup final.
And his prowess extended to the international scene too, with a hat-trick in the Three Lions' 5-1 victory over Germany that September being a huge contributor towards England qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
A number of well-esteemed Reds have come in second or third since Owen's Ballon d'Or win 23 years ago. This article looks at each of them, and whether or not they might have deserved a better result.
The Liverpool Ballon d’Or winners that nearly were
Dalglish 1983 (Runner up)
Sir Kenny Dalglish is a Liverpool legend, winning 21 major trophies at Anfield – including six top-flight titles and three European Cups, which was the UEFA Champions League's predecessor up to 1992/93. He scored 118 goals in 355 appearances in a 13-year spell, and also won many individual honours.
However, one major accolade escaped him – the Ballon d'Or. In 1983, Dalglish finished runner up to Frenchman Michel Platini, despite coming off the back of a season where Liverpool won the domestic league and League Cup. The Scotsman himself had also been named the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year.
In stark comparison, Platini failed to win his domestic league with Juventus, although he won the Coppa Italia and reached the European Cup final. But there can be no denying that this could easily have swung the other way.
Gerrard 2005 (Third)
At the end of the 2004/05 term, Steven Gerrard led his team to a dramatic Champions League final win over AC Milan, coming back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 and force extra-time. It was his delicate header that sent the Merseysiders on their way to an eventual triumph on penalties.
It was Gerrard's best moment in his career, but Ronaldinho won the Ballon d'Or convincingly in 2005 in terms of votes, as he was a standout player for Barcelona, who won their first domestic title in six years.
That title charge included a world-class individual performance in a 3-0 win at Real Madrid, which even received a standing ovation from the home crowd!
Torres 2008 (Third)
Fernando Torres was in the prime of his career at Liverpool, and his most prolific campaign was in 2007/08. The Spaniard scored 33 times in 46 appearances, was named the Reds' Player of the Season, and picked in the Premier League PFA Team of the Year.
However, Torres did not win any major club trophies that term, and was subsequently beaten to the Ballon d'Or by Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 42 goals to help Manchester United win the Premier League and Champions League.
Van Dijk 2019 (Runner up)
Virgil van Dijk agonisingly lost out to Lionel Messi by just seven jury points. The centre-back won the Champions League in the 2018/19 season, and his Reds side missed out on the Premier League title by just one point, despite accumulating a staggering 97 points in total.
Defenders winning Ballon d'Ors are hard to come by, with just two ever doing so – namely, Franz Beckenbauer (twice) and Fabio Cannavaro. For that reason, Van Dijk can count himself very unlucky.
Mane 2022 (Runner up)
A Mane Ballon d'Or could easily have happened in 2022, and might well have, had Liverpool completed the quadruple. Instead, they found themselves ending up as Premier League and Champions League runners-up in the space of a week back in May 2022.
The Senegalese scored 23 goals in 51 appearances and barely missed a game that season, while he was also crowned African Footballer of the Year in 2022. But it was Karim Benzema that took the prestigious trophy, winning La Liga and the Champions League after scoring a staggering 44 goals.
Any future Liverpool Ballon d’Or winners in the making?
The Ballon d’or 2024 battle seems to be sewn up, with Vinicius Jr odds-on across the board. But a Liverpool player could still win it again in the future.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold possesses a unique passing range for a right-back, with his technical ability to pick out his teammates likened to footballing legend David Beckham by some fans and pundits alike. At 25 years of age, there is still plenty of time for him to win a Ballon d'Or.
Alexander-Arnold is yet to sign a new contract at Liverpool, and is dangerously close to leaving Anfield on a potential free transfer. Like Real Madrid with France international superstar Kylian Mbappe, Los Blancos have reportedly been linked with signing the Englishman as their next “Galactico”, and there have been plenty of those that have won the Ballon d'Or before.
Virgil van Dijk
As mentioned above, Virgil van Dijk came agonisingly close to winning the Ballon d'Or in 2019. Only two central defenders have ever won the prestigious accolade, so it looks harder for the Netherlands international to do so as he gets older.
Indeed, Van Dijk is 33 years of age now, but is still widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the world at this moment in time. Should he win both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League (UCL) again with Liverpool, he will surely have to be considered among the potential nominees for the award.
Mohamed Salah
Like Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah is getting on a bit now at 32 years of age, but he still remains as consistent as ever for Liverpool. Should he have yet another exceptional season in terms of scoring an incredible amount of goals, then he should be talked about among other potential nominees.
Alarmingly, Salah is another superstar that is coming towards the end of his contract with the Reds, and so may be moved on at Anfield considering his age and current market value. Nonetheless, whether it would be at Liverpool or any other club in the world, the “Egyptian King” is still capable of putting in Ballon d'Or worthy performances.
Luis Diaz
Perhaps a rogue shout, but Luis Diaz is enjoying a tremendous season so far under new manager Arne Slot. Indeed, the Colombia international has scored a total of five goals in his opening six games in the Premier League, helping Liverpool currently sit nicely at the top of the table.
At 27 years of age, Diaz has arguably not hit his peak yet as a footballer, and so there could still be time for him to really explode onto the scene. Nonetheless, the winger could well be one to watch in terms of future Ballon d'Or nominations.
