The Ballon d'Or is, without question, the most prestigious individual prize in the world of football. The award has been won by some of the greatest names in the sport and has established the status of football's most legendary exponents.The intricacies involved in the selection of a Ballon d'Or winner have undergone several changes over the years. The pool of votes available to players continues to expand with every passing year and this has had an impact on the margins of recent Ballon d'Or victories.Ronaldo has one more Champions League, Messi has one more Ballon d'Or.Ronaldo won the Euros on July 10, Messi won Copa America on July 10.Perfectly balanced, as all things should be ☯️ pic.twitter.com/xHteI4GgFd— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 11, 2021Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated the Ballon d'Or in recent yearsBefore the turn of the century, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, and Johan Cruyff shared the record for the most Ballon d'Or triumphs with three victories apiece. The likes of Ronaldo and Raymond Kopa have also been successful at the event and have established unique footballing legacies with their exploits.Over the past decade, however, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have made short work of the record and have won 11 of the last 12 Ballon d'Ors. The two modern-day behemoths continue to remain in contention for the award and share an exhilarating rivalry.Without further ado, let's take a look at a list of players with the highest numbers of appearances in the Ballon d'Or top three.#5 Johan Cruyff (4 appearances)Johan Cruyff reinvented the beautiful game. Image Source: Barca UniversalJohan Cruyff is arguably one of the most important figures ever to be associated with the game of football. The Dutch maestro essentially invented the intricacies of the modern game both as a player and a manager and played an essential role in the evolution of football.His tactical contributions aside, Johan Cruyff is also one of the most successful players in Ballon d'Or history. While the likes of Ronaldo, Gerd Muller, Luis Suarez, and Raymond Kopa also have four appearances each in the Ballon d'Or top three, Johan Cruyff is one of only three players in football history to have won the award three times.📅 55 Years Ago Today:🇳🇱 Johan Cruyff made his professional debut.🏟 715 Games⚽️ 416 Goals9 🏆🇳🇱 Eredivisie6 🏆🇳🇱 KNVB Cup3 🏆🇪🇺 European Cup1 🏆🇪🇸 La Liga1 🏆🇪🇸 Copa del Rey3 🥇 Ballon d'Or🙌 One of the most influential players ever. pic.twitter.com/wKfEQrQdLb— SPORF (@Sporf) November 15, 2019Cruyff's exploits with Barcelona and Ajax saw him win the Ballon d'Or in 1971, 1973, and 1974. The Dutch talisman also secured third place in 1975, finishing behind Franz Beckenbauer and Oleg Blokhin.#4 Franz Beckenbauer (5 appearances)Beckenbauer is one of the best defenders of all timeIt has become fairly obvious, over the years, that the Ballon d'Or has become an award ceremony dominated by midfielders and forwards. Bayern Munich legend Franz Beckenbauer is one of the only defenders in history to have established himself as a regular Ballon d'Or candidate.'Der Kaiser' made five appearances in the Ballon d'Or top three, first winning the prize in 1972. Beckenbauer then went on to win his second Ballon d'Or four years later after leading Bayern Munich to their third consecutive European Cup triumph.Franz Beckenbauer also invented the role of the modern sweeper with Bayern Munich in the 1970s and became one of his club's most important players alongside Sepp Maier and Gerd Muller. The Bayern captain revolutionised German football and remains one of the greatest defenders of all time.Also Read: Top 5 Ballon d'Or winners with the least points difference