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#3 Kaka
Before Ballon d'Or was brutally dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka was the last player to win it. Luka Modric broke the domination of the two football G.O.A.Ts in 2018.
Kaka was one of the most skillful and graceful players of his generation. Starting his career with Sao Paulo in Brazil, the attacking midfielder had almost every skill in his armor. He had the pace, the passing ability, the dribbling skills, the flair, the agility and the goal-scoring potential a quality footballer should have.
He joined AC Milan in 2003 and became a legend at the club before leaving for Real Madrid in 2009. During his time in Milan, Kaka had the most memorable time in the 2006-07 season when they won the UEFA Champions League. It was in 2007 that he won the Ballon d'Or, beating Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.
He was the top goal-scorer in the Champions League which helped him become the fourth Brazilian to win the Ballon d'Or. To date, he's the last Brazilian to achieve this feat.
#2 Ronaldo Nazario
If there is a striker in the history of the game with a perfect blend of goal-scoring abilities and dribbling skills, it has to be Brazil's Ronaldo Nazario. He is arguably one of the best players ever to play the beautiful game of football.
With the ball at his feet, Ronaldo can run with immense pace and crazy footwork. He can dribble past multiple defenders with utter ease and find the perfect finish. It was while playing for Inter Milan in 1997 that the Brazilian won his first Ballon d'Or at the age of 21. To date, he remains the youngest player ever to win this prestigious award.
Ronaldo was the first Brazilian back then to win the Ballon d'Or. He joined Real Madrid in 2002 and it was the year where he played a huge role in helping his country win the World Cup. Unsurprisingly, the Brazilian striker won his second Ballon d'Or that year, beating his compatriot Roberto Carlos to the award. To date, he remains the only Brazilian to win the award twice.
#1 Lionel Messi
Words cannot define the greatness of Lionel Messi. He has been beyond brilliant ever since his introduction in 2004. The Argentine has won six Ballon d'Ors in his career, a feat matched by no other footballer.
The left-footed forward is likely to win his seventh Ballon d'Or this year but only time will confirm it. Messi won his first award in 2009, beating Cristiano Ronaldo by 240 points, the highest margin in the history of the Ballon d'Or.
The former Barcelona forward then went on to win the Ballon d'Or for the next three years. Cristiano Ronaldo won the next two before Messi won the award the fifth time in 2015, beating the Portuguese once again.
Lionel Messi won the Ballon d'Or in 2019, the last time the award was presented. He won it by a narrow margin of seven points, beating Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk. Considering the magnitude of his achievements, it remains unlikely that any other South American will surpass his Ballon d'Or status quo.
