Andres Iniesta is perhaps the first name that comes to mind when people get asked which top-class player has failed to win a Ballon d'Or, but there are plenty of others you could add. The list, depending on what you see as the criteria for the biggest award of all could be infinite.
Of course, in the era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, no-one else has gotten a look in, and rightly so according to many people, given the duo have elevated the sport to another level, redefining what is and what isn't normal.
However, one player who has slipped under the radar thus far is Luka Modric, possibly because he spent part of his career at Tottenham Hotspur, and the casual football fan would have focused on Gareth Bale at that time, given that was of course his break out period and when he played his best and most consistent football.
Both obviously moved to Real Madrid, but again, in a sea of Cristiano Ronaldo and Galacticos, Modric has again been overlooked – something that's a feature for certain players.
Modric has no doubt suffered due to the fact n his generation, it was Xavi and Iniesta who often got the plaudits for midfield brilliance, something many others, including Isco also found, and, ironically, the newest generation of Koke and Saul Niguez are trying to break through the comparisons to Isco, Rakitic and Modric, as they try and establish themselves as the best in Spain. It all goes in cycles, ever changing, and always moving.
Despite this, the classy midfielder has been utterly key in Los Blancos' dominance in Europe over the last few years, and it's his passing and movement that sets up some of Real's best stuff.
He dominates a game, but in a quiet and controlled way – he's not a flashy guy off the field either, and the powers that be – along with the media – clearly respect him, but the front cover and Ballon d'Or propaganda is reserved for Ronaldo, and they know it, much like Iniesta knew Barcelona and the Catalan press would always back Messi.
Yet ask Ronaldo or Zidane, and they'll tell you just how good and key Modric is for them. If he plays well and has a great game, the team does.
Watching what the midfielder is doing for Croatia at the World Cup, alongside Ivan Rakitic – another player who never really got the praise he deserved at times, swallowed in a sea of superstars at Barcelona – Modric has shone, gaining some serious praise.
#HalaMadrid
It's little wonder, given Croatia dismantled Argentina in a game that the world was watching, and people who may not have seen that much of Modric got the chance to witness his brilliance for the first time, with Perisic claiming his teammate is 'from a different planet' as he dictates the tempo and play of games.
It's not just talent or sheer ability Modric has in spades – he really works for it as well. This World Cup, he's second in terms of distance covered by an individual in the team, making more tackles (seven) than anyone else in the Croatian side and made the third highest number of sprints in the side, all the while maintaining his creative brilliance. Of course, he's received more passes and completed more passes than anyone else, something you might expect.
It would be interesting to compare Modric's stats with players in other teams who operate in similar roles and who seem to think their creative greatness absolves them of any need to work for the team when they don't have the ball.
Of course, stats aren't the whole story, but Modric is the whole package. A dream to watch and someone who controls the game – but also someone who works hard and is willing to do whatever it takes to make the team – not Luka – look good.
He's unassuming in a way that's seriously underrated and endearing in a world of pre-Madonna players who squabble over taking penalties to boost their own records, not to help the side. In a world where big names go missing on the biggest stages or have so many demands about what can and cannot happen with the squad and line-up that they make Mariah Carey look positively low maintenance.
Modric is a captain in every sense of the word, and someone who seems to be growing into the World Cup as it goes on. For those who have watched and appreciated him throughout his career, it won't come as a surprise, but for those who are just beginning to realise Luka's worth, it will certainly be a memorable experience.
