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The Ballon d'Or remains one of the greatest individual awards in football. In a sport where team accomplishments take center stage, it is worth noting that some individuals have stringed together consistent performances throughout the year to win the award.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the obvious headline grabbers when it comes to the Ballon d'Or in recent times. The Argentine has won the award six times and many reckon he could win a seventh later this year. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has five Ballon d'Or awards to his name and few would bet against him winning another before he calls time on his career.
Messi and Ronaldo have won 11 of the 20 Ballons d'Or awards since 2000, which pays testament to their incredible consistency. At least one of them has finished in the top three for the award every year since 2007, a simply staggering record.
Though the duo have been entirely dominant in the last 20 years, there have been other legendary winners of the award in that time. Here, we look at the five greatest Ballon d'Or winners of the 21st century.
#5 Ronaldo Nazario (2002 Ballon d'Or winner)
Ronaldo Nazario remains one of the most talented strikers to have stepped foot on a football pitch. He was gifted with incredible pace, technical ability and the Samba skills that come with any Brazilian forward. Injuries plagued Ronaldo's career time and time again, but he still managed to win numerous titles and the Ballon d'Or on two occasions.
Ronaldo's first Ballon d'Or came in 1997, but it was his second that was special as it reminded the world how good he was once again. Despite an injury-stricken 2001-02 club season, the Brazilian was pivotal for his nation in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Ronaldo scored eight goals in the tournament, including two in the final against Germany as the Selecao were crowned world champions once again.
He then moved to Real Madrid at the start of the 2002-03 season and registered a stellar 30 goals in 44 matches for Los Blancos in his debut campaign. Ronaldo's exploits helped the Spanish giants secure La Liga, the UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. That was enough to bring him his second Ballon d'Or in 2002.
#4 Ronaldinho (2005 Ballon d'Or winner)
One of the most skilled players to have graced the beautiful game, it almost seemed like the world stopped doing everything else to enjoy Ronaldinho when he hit full flow. Few footballers created magic on the pitch the way the Brazilian did, dribbling, passing and finishing with panache, flair and certainty.
Ronaldinho's on-field abilities were on full display during the 2004-05 season. Then at Barcelona, the forward helped the Blaugrana end their six-year wait for a La Liga title. Ronaldinho finished his club campaign with 13 goals and 16 assists in 42 matches as Barca finished atop the top-flight, four points clear of arch-rivals Real Madrid.
But he wasn't done just there. Ronaldinho then played a starring role in the 2005 Confederations Cup, netting three goals and providing an assist as Brazil stormed to the title. His incredible performances for club and country brought Ronaldinho his first and only Ballon d'Or in 2005.
#3 Kaka (2007 Ballon d'Or winner)
The third Brazilian Ballon d'Or winner on this list, Kaka won the prestigious award during his illustrious time with AC Milan. The midfielder's time at the Rossoneri was simply fantastic on an individual and collective level as Milan flourished during Kaka's initial six-year stay between 2003 and 2009.
The Brazilian was particularly impressive during the 2006-07 season. Post the 'Calciopoli' scandal, Milan suffered in the league before finishing fourth. They impressed in the Coppa Italia, making it to the semifinals before suffering a 5-3 loss to Roma on aggregate.
However, it was in the Champions League that the Italian giants excelled, with Kaka playing a massive role. The midfielder scored 10 of his 18 goals that season in the Champions League as Milan raced to the title. Kaka also registered three of his 11 assists in the 2006-07 campaign in the competition, including one in their 2-1 win over Liverpool in the final.
Kaka's individual brilliance, coupled with AC Milan's Champions League triumph, was enough to bring the Brazilian the 2007 Ballon d'Or. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi finished second and third, respectively. More about them up next!
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo (Five-time Ballon d'Or winner)
Cristiano Ronaldo followed up his second-place finish in the 2007 Ballon d'Or by clinching the award in 2008. The Portuguese was in incredible form for Manchester United, returning 42 goals and eight assists in 49 matches. His brilliance helped the Red Devils clinch the Premier League and Champions League, giving him his first Ballon d'Or.
This was followed by a four-year dominance by Ronaldo's arch-rival Lionel Messi, which we'll get to in due course. In 2013, then with Real Madrid, Ronaldo won his second Ballon d'Or thanks to another stellar season. Although Los Blancos only won the Copa del Rey, the forward managed 55 goals in as many matches to secure the Ballon d'Or ahead of Messi and treble winner Franck Ribery.
There was no questioning Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or victory in 2014, however. Real Madrid secured the Copa del Rey and Champions League, with their talisman netting 51 goals in all competitions. Rather staggeringly, one-third of those goals, i.e., 17, came in the Champions League, a record that still stands unbeaten.
Ronaldo then went on to win the Ballon d'Or again in 2016 and 2017 after winning the Champions League in both seasons. The Portuguese was at the heart of Los Blancos' successive European triumphs, netting 93 goals across the two years. Real Madrid also secured the La Liga title in 2017, which further propelled Ronaldo to the Ballon d'Or that year. Though he has not won the prestigious award since then, his return to Manchester United this summer could possibly fuel another push for the coveted trophy.
#1 Lionel Messi (Six-time Ballon d'Or winner)
Arguably the greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi's legacy is likely to last for decades and decades before another player of his ilk comes along. The Argentine looks set to add another Ballon d'Or to his stacked trophy cabinet later this year, though he could face some competition.
Messi first won the Ballon d'Or in 2009. A vital cog in Pep Guardiola's all-conquering Barcelona side, the Argentine managed 38 goals and 19 assists as the Blaugrana completed the continental treble.
The calendar year 2010 saw Messi add the UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup and Spanish Super Cup to make it a sextuple. Barcelona also went on to win La Liga again, though they lost out on the Copa del Rey and Champions League. Regardless, Messi's return of 47 goals and 12 assists saw him controversially win the award over Andres Iniesta, who won the World Cup with Spain, and Wesley Sneijder, who won the treble with Inter Milan.
Barcelona won their second Champions League trophy in three years by getting their hands on the trophy in 2011. Guardiola's side also clinched La Liga, with Messi contributing 53 goals and 25 assists across the campaign to collect his third successive Ballon d'Or.
This was followed by a record-breaking campaign, with Messi scoring 91 goals in 2012. Barcelona lost La Liga to Real Madrid and the Champions League semifinals to Chelsea, clinching only the Copa del Rey. Yet Messi's staggering individual numbers were deemed sufficient to win him his fourth successive Ballon d'Or.
Post a bleak two-year period, the Argentine exploded alongside Luis Suarez and Neymar at Barcelona during the 2014-15 campaign. The Catalans won the treble for a second time, with Messi scoring 58 goals and assisting 31 more in 57 matches.
On-field and off-field problems subsequently cost Barcelona time and again post 2015, with the club still yet to win the Champions League since then. But Messi's individual brilliance was on show once again during the 2018-19 campaign. The Argentine almost single-handedly took the Blaugrana to the cusp of the treble before they crumbled and came away with just the league title. Regardless, Messi's return of 51 goals and 22 assists brought him his record-breaking sixth Ballon d'Or in December 2019.
