Ranking the Top 5 Greatest Ballon d’Or Winners of All Time

The Ballon d’Or is deemed the most prestigious individual award in football, with every player aspiring to win it one day.

The award began back in 1956, with England’s Stanley Matthews the inaugural winner, while Real Madrid and France star Karim Benzema is the current holder of the Ballon d’Or after winning the 2022 award.

We've seen some special performances rewarded with the trophy, but some have been better than others.

Some won all the trophies, some won none, and some saved their success solely for the international stage. It's been a real mixed bag.

Based on how many times they have won the Golden Ball, Sports Brief has selected the top 5 Ballon d'Or winners.

Marco van Basten (3)

Marco van Basten won the Ballon d’Or on three occasions – in 1988, 1989 and 1992.

The Dutch Forward was a player whose career was cut short due to injury, yet he amazed the footballing world during the years he was active.

He scored many crucial goals in the 1988 and 1989 seasons, but it was in 1992 that he grabbed the Serie A trophy for his side AC Milan after going undefeated and finishing four points ahead of Internazionale. During 1991-92, he scored 29 goals in 38 games across all competitions.

Basten was forced into retirement at 30 by an ankle injury during his mid-20s. Football experts reckon he could have won his side and himself several more honours had he continued playing.

Johan Cruyff (3)

Johan Cruyff was the first Dutch footballer to have won three Ballon d’Ors (1971, 1973 and 1974).

He made the most of Ajax’s “total football” style to win the Ballon d’Or in 1971, 1973 and 1974. He scored 25 goals in the 1971/72 season to hand Ajax the Eredivisie with dominating performances throughout the season.

His contribution to Ajax and Barcelona cemented Cruyff’s place as one of the most influential footballers of his time.

Michel Platini (3)

Michel Platini claimed three Ballon d’Or awards in a row from 1983 to 1985 (1983, 1984 and 1985).

Michel Platini is a name that every Juventus fan is familiar with. In the 1983 season, Juventus won the Serie A thanks to Platini’s 20 goals. Platini inspired France to the 1984 European Championship and also helped Juventus regain their glory by winning back the Serie A title in 1985.

Apart from securing three Golden Ball accolades, Platini grabbed the sixth spot in the FIFA Player of The Century voting.

However, his hype was short-lived, as he did not even reach the top-three contenders in any non-winning years.

His appointment as the FIFA President was very controversial, but this doesn’t raise an eyebrow on his footballing ability that helped him secure a legendary status.

Cristiano Ronaldo (5)

Cristiano Ronaldo is a five-time Ballon d’Or winner (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017).

The Portugal captain has been a force to reckon with since joining Manchester United in 2008 after being scouted by none other than Sir Alex Ferguson. Since his days in Manchester, he has become one of the greatest players ever.

His tenure from 2013 to 2017 was astonishing, as he won four Ballon d’Or awards in just five years. The striker is an icon and a huge inspiration for aspiring footballers.

While in Premier League in 2007-08, Ronaldo helped the United win the double - Premier League and the Champions League.

Since 2013, the year he won his second Golden Ball, Ronaldo aided Real Madrid in winning the Champions League in four out of five years and left the side in 2018 with a goal-scoring record that seems almost unbreakable.

The Al-Nassr forward netted the most (451) goals in Real Madrid’s history and helped them win four Champions League, three Club World Cups and UEFA Super Cups each, two La Liga titles and Copa Del Reys each and Spanish Super Cup.

Lionel Messi (7)

Lionel Messi has so far won seven Ballon d’Or awards (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021).

The Argentine genius was a successor of the legendary Ronaldinho at Barcelona in the late 2000s, but who knew he would go down in the history books as one of the greatest footballers of all time?

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The Argentine forward won his first Golden Ball in the 2008-09 season after being the top scorer and a driving force behind the Blaugrana’s continental treble wins.

Messi then won it on three occasions in quick succession. In the 2011-12 season, he scored 73 in 60 games in 2011-12 and again helped his side win the Champion League.