Zidane, Bergkamp, Ronaldo, Beckham: The 1998 Ballon d’Or shortlist will never be beaten | OneFootball

The title of the greatest footballer on the planet is one that very few will ever bear.

In fact, since 2007, only three different men have ever ascended to those heady heights.

Since Kaka won the prestigious Ballon d'Or way back in 2007, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have hoarded just about every single title.

Only Luka Modric has been able to break the duopoly, but we soon reverted to type with Messi reclaiming the award a year later.

Between them, Messi and Ronaldo have amassed an astonishing 11 Ballon d'Or titles, with the Argentinean clinching an unprecedented sixth in 2019.

(Enter Giveaway)

It really should be beyond belief that these two men have been able to ruthlessly dictate the result of  the biggest individual prize in the game for so long, but it has almost become the new-normal for fans.

They've simply blown the opposition to pieces year-in, year-out, with even Modric's victory in 2018 proving to be hugely controversial.

However, it hasn't always been that way. Back in the late 1990's, the Ballon d'Or shortlists were absolutely scattered with individuals more than worthy of being crowned the best in the world.

The 1998 shortlist in particular proves just how much of a golden era it was for the game with some of the greatest names to ever kick a ball about present.

Right from the bottom up we see stars who, just upon reading their names, will bring a smile to our faces as remember all the joy they brought us.

Unsurprisingly, it was Zinedine Zidane who would clinch the award - one made all the more special by the standard of opposition that he beat to clinch it.

In the end, the French superstar won it by miles, which just goes to show how good he must've been that year.

1. Zinedine Zidane, Juventus - 244 points2. Davor Šuker, Real Madrid - 68 points3. Ronaldo, Internazionale - 66 points4. Michael Owen, Liverpool - 51 points5. Rivaldo, Barcelona - 45 points

6. Gabriel Batistuta, Fiorentina - 43 points7. Lilian Thuram, Parma - 36 points8=. Edgar Davids, Juventus - 28 points8=. Dennis Bergkamp, Arsenal - 28 points10. Marcel Desailly, Chelsea - 19 points11. Frank de Boer, Ajax - 17 points12. Emmanuel Petit, Arsenal - 16 points13. Roberto Carlos, Real Madrid - 13 points

14=. Laurent Blanc, Marseille - 11 points14=. Fabien Barthez, Monaco - 11 points16=. Alessandro Del Piero, Juventus - 10 points16=. Predrag Mijatović, Real Madrid - 10 points18=. Didier Deschamps, Juventus - 9 points18=. Oliver Bierhoff, Milan - 9 points20. Michael Laudrup, Ajax - 6 points

21=. Ronald de Boer, Ajax - 4 points21=. Raúl, Real Madrid - 4 points23=. Brian Laudrup, Chelsea - 3 points23=. Clarence Seedorf, Real Madrid - 3 points23=. Marc Overmars, Arsenal - 3 points26=. Christian Vieri, Lazio - 2 points26=. Fernando Hierro, Real Madrid - 2 points28=. David Beckham, Manchester United - 1 point28=. Luis Enrique, Barcelona - 1 point28=. Bixente Lizarazu, Bayern Munich - 1 point28=. Nikos Machlas, Vitesse - 1 point

There you have it - a veritable smorgasbord of some of the greatest we've ever seen on a football pitch.

From Beckham to Bergkamp, Laudrup to Deschamps, Rivaldo to Suker, that list is ripping with world-class stars.

It is hard to see that shortlist ever being beaten when it comes to sheer strength in depth but, if it is, then we could be in for some very exciting times.

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