AS.com

Once it was revealed that Lionel Messi had won the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or, French newspaper 'L'Equipe' published a list entitled 'The players the Ballon d'Or forgot'.

The list, which strangely omitted illustrious names in Spanish football such as Xavi Hernández and Iker Casillas, included Andrés Iniesta, one of the three finalists in 2012 and 2010, and Raúl, who finished second behind Michael Owen in 2001.

The 17 players on the newspaper's list:

Oliver Kahn (3^rd in 2001 and 2002)

Gianluigi Buffon (2^nd in 2006)

Cafu (never a finalist)

Franco Baresi (2^nd in 1989)

Paulo Maldini (3^rd in 1994 and 2003)

Roberto Carlos (2nd in 2002)

Lilian Thuram (never a finalist)

David Beckham (2^nd in 1999)

Allesandro Nesta (never a finalist)

Steven Gerrard (3^rd in 2005)

Wesley Sneijder (never a finalist)

Frank Lampard (second in 2005)

Raúl (2^nd in 2001)

Thierry Henry (3^rd in 2006)

Alessandro Del Piero (never a finalist)

Samuel Eto'o (never a finalist)

Andrés Iniesta (2^nd in 2010, 3^rd in 2012)