Five non-European footballers to win Ballon d'Or

Lionel Messi has been the most successful footballer to win Ballon d'Or
Lionel Messi has been the most successful footballer to win Ballon d'Or

.# 4. Kaka -2007

AC Milan v Sampdoria
AC Milan v Sampdoria

Kaka was an AC Milan playmaker in 2007 as he won the UEFA Champions League for them and was awarded multiple trophies in the same year. FIFA World Player of the Year, the Ballon d'Or, the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker award were some of the trophies he won in the year 2007.

It is a fun fact that Kaka was the last Ballon d'Or winner in 2007 before the Cristiano Ronaldo - Lionel Messi era began in 2008. Another fun fact remains that in the year 2007, Kaka had pipped Ronaldo and Messi to win the Ballon d'Or with 444 points. Cristiano Ronaldo came second that year and Messi ended up being third.

Kaká was accurately described by FIFA website as a player who had the capability to glide past any opponent effortlessly and provide defense- splitting passes all the time while scoring consistently from distance.

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Edited by Deepanshu Sharma