Tracing the footsteps of Beijing Guoan, Bayern defenseman Min-Ja Kim emerged as the highest-ranked defender of all time in the 2023 Ballon d'Or, finishing 22nd in the competition. Imagine if it weren't for the "leaving the CSL" condition, Drogba (who finished an impressive 8th in 2012) and his CSL counterparts Mascherano and Yaya Toure would have been even more prominent on the Ballon d'Or list, perhaps even in the top 20 together.
