The Ballon d’Or nominations have been confirmed but sadly, there are no Celtic players who feature on the list.
Seven Celtic players have received Ballon d’Or nominations in the past, with the last of those being Shunsuke Nakamura back in 2007.
To be recognised as one of the best in the world is a remarkable achievement but to be nominated more than once really does cement themselves within the pantheon of greats.
With that, 67 Hail Hail looks at the three Celtic legends who received nominations in multiple years.
Tommy Gemmell – 1967 and 1968
One of only two Lisbon Lions to be nominated for the award, Tommy Gemmell was picked off the back of Celtic becoming the first British team in history to win the European Cup, a game in which the full-back scored the first goal.
Gemmell finished high in the rankings too, taking sixth spot and was behind some outstanding footballers that included Bobby Charlton and Eusebio.
One year after being nominated in 1967, he was then nominated again. He came 26th in 1968 as George Best ended up being crowned as the winner.
Jimmy Johnstone – 1967 and 1968
Like his teammate, Jimmy Johnstone also received back-to-back nominations in the Ballon d’Or rankings.
A fellow Lisbon Lion, Johnstone came even closer to winning first prize, finishing third in the list as Ferencvaros’ Florian Albert took home the trophy.
Like Gemmell, he would be further down the list in 1968, finishing two places above the full-back in 24th spot.
Henrik Larsson – 2001 and 2003
The king of kings, Henrik Larsson is the final Celtic player to have received more than one Ballon d’Or nomination.
Larsson took 14th spot in 2001, the year Michael Owen won, after a free-scoring campaign under Martin O’Neill.
He was then nominated in 2003, coming 12th that year that the Bhoys reached the UEFA Cup final against Porto, which sadly ended in a 3-2 defeat after extra time.
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