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The 14 times Arsenal stars threatened to win the Ballon d’Or

An Arsenal player has never won the Ballon d'Or, but they've come close. Here are 14 times an Arsenal player finished in the top 10.

By Kian Long · Paininthearsenal

Published: Monday, 26 October 2026 at 5:58 PM

Key Things to Know

Arsenal players have achieved a top-10 finish in the Ballon d'Or voting on 14 separate occasions.
Thierry Henry finished second behind Pavel Nedved in 2003, marking Arsenal's closest attempt to win.
Henry made the top 10 six times, including finishing third in 2006 and fourth on three occasions.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Pain in the Arsenal details the 14 times Arsenal players have achieved a top-10 finish in the Ballon d'Or voting, despite no player from the club ever winning the award. The article highlights how close several club icons came to taking home the honor over different eras.

Thierry Henry featured the most times, earning six top-10 rankings and coming closest when finishing second behind Pavel Nedved in 2003. Other players on the list include Dennis Bergkamp, Liam Brady, Jens Lehmann, Alexis Sanchez, and Cesc Fabregas.

Read the full article on Paininthearsenal

The 14 times Arsenal stars threatened to win the Ballon d’Or

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