7 players you will never believe were ever nominated for the Ballon d'Or

• Let's take a look at some of those players who you perhaps you never expected to hear received a nomination for the Ballon d’Or. Some even received a vote and placed in the rankings.

1. Yuri Zhirkov (2008): CSKA Moscow

Things never really worked out for Zhirkov at Chelsea but you can see why the Blues splurged £18m on his signature in 2009. The Russian centurion helped his nation reach the semi-finals of Euro 2008 and was the defensive fulcrum at CSKA Moscow. He had his moments at Stamford Bridge and left with two trophies, including the 2010 Premier League.

2. Tim Cahill (2006): Everton

Tim Cahill outscored the likes of Filippo Inzaghi, Didier Drogba, Raul and Ruud van Nistelrooy at the 2006 World Cup with his two strikes, as he helped Australia navigate a tough group that included Brazil, Croatia and Japan. They came unstuck against Italy in the Round of 16 but held the eventual winners to the dying embers, with a 95th-minute Francesco Totti goal deciding the tie. Arguably Australia’s greatest football export.

3. Edison Mendez (2006):  PSV

Edison Mendez played a key role as Ecuador reached the World Cup Round of 16, where they came unstuck against England. His performances in Germany earned the winger a move to PSV, initially on loan, before he made that deal permanent the following season. If you haven’t heard of the name before, you can be forgiven, as Mendez plied his trade in Europe (exclusively PSV and the Eredivisie) for only three years.

4. Asamoah Gyan (2010): Sunderland

No one will soon forget that memorable World Cup 2010 quarter-final encounter between Ghana and Uruguay. It is one of the great World Cup games for various reasons, and Asamoah Gyan was the catalyst of that sumptuous run in the quadrennial tournament. He then translated that form to Sunderland, where he scored five goals in his first 10 Premier League games and capped the year off with a Ballon d’Or nomination.

5. Rui Patricio (2016): Sporting

That’s right Wolves fans, your formidable gloveman has Ballon d’Or blood coursing through his veins. Of course, his nomination came by virtue of his heroics between the sticks as Portugal lifted a first-ever major trophy at Euro 2016, notably keeping a clean sheet in the final.

6. Dimitri Payet (2016): West Ham

A World Cup, the Academy of Football, and a Ballon d’Or nominee: don’t ever try to tell a West Ham fan otherwise! Payet was a West Ham immortal when he wasn’t sulking and pining for the exit doors. A generational talent who transfixed the Upton Park terraces, and later the London Stadium as the club ushered in a new era. The Hammers love a maverick, a talismanic figure in the mould of Paolo Di Canio and Carlos Tevez. Payet fit the archetype. 

7. Donny van de Beek (2019): Ajax

There were so many Ballon d’Or-nominated Ajax players in that famous run to the Champions League semi-final, with Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt and Dusan Tadic all receiving recognition, that it may have slipped your mind that Van de Beek actually just snuck in as well. An unsung goalscoring hero of Erik ten Hag’s famous side, the Manchester United midfielder came in at joint-28th, the lowest position in the standings with zero points.