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As far as personal achievement is concerned, the Ballon d'Or is arguably the Nobel prize of football. While there are a select few great players who have not won the award, the Ballon d'Or has helped cement the legendary status of the most talented players in history.
Ballon d'Or races since the turn of the century have often been skewed largely due to the cumulative genius of two particularly prodigious footballers. Before Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo decided to duopolise the award, however, the Ballon d'Or ceremony often saw tense contests between contemporary players vying for sporting immortality.
The Ballon d'Or ceremony has witnessed close races in the past
The Ballon d'Or has grown in stature over the years and has now become the most important award available to the sport's elite. The first few Ballon d'Or races were decidedly close, particularly because they included a smaller pool of players and votes.
Recent contests for the award have statistically been fairly lop-sided simply because the voting process for the Ballon d'Or has been expanded to include a larger group of personalities.
As a result, most of the entries on this particular list involve players from a fair few years ago. Let's take a look at some of the most intense contests in Ballon d'Or history.
#5 Stanley Mathews - Alfredo Di Stefano (3 points, 1956)
Stanley Matthews was the first winner of the Ballon d'Or and thoroughly deserved the award in 1956. The English winger was one of the best forwards of his time and thrived under an environment of creativity at Blackpool.
Matthews did inspire Blackpool to an FA Cup and a sensational second-place finish in the league. He also had Real Madrid duo Alfredo Di Stefano and Raymond Kopa to beat in an intense Ballon d'Or race.
Stanley Matthews eventually edged the enigmatic Alfredo Di Stefano to the Ballon d'Or, securing 47 votes to Di Stefano's 44. There was a silver lining for the two Real Madrid stars as well, however, with both Raymond Kopa and Alfredo Di Stefano winning the Ballon d'Or in the following years.
#4 Allan Simonsen - Kevin Keegan (3 points, 1977)
Allan Simonsen is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the greatest Danish players of all time. Simonsen made a name for himself at Borussia Monchengladbach and was 25 years old when he nearly inspired them to an unprecedented European Cup triumph.
Liverpool denied the German outfit its crown in 1977 but Allan Simonsen was aptly rewarded with the Ballon d'Or a few months later. Simonsen beat Michel Platini and Merseyside hero Kevin Keegan by narrow margins to write his name into the history books.
Platini and Keegan would eventually go on to five Ballon d'Ors between them, with Simonsen growing in stature as an iconic figure at Borussia Monchengladbach. The Danish forward went on to enjoy a successful stint at Barcelona and remains one of his country's greatest players.
#3 Franz Beckenbauer - Gerd Muller (2 points, 1972)
The year 1972 saw one of the most intriguing Ballon d'Or races of all time, for a multitude of reasons. Franz Beckenbauer was the eventual winner of the award but had two of his compatriots hot on his heels before he lifted the prize.
One of those Ballon d'Or finalists was Beckenbauer's mates with club and country - Gerd Muller. The Bayern Munich striker had shattered records in the 1971-72 season and his 40 goals had inspired the Bavarians to a historic league victory.
Gerd Muller had no qualms conceding the Ballon d'Or to his captain, however, with Beckenbauer stepping up as the driving force behind Bayern Munich and Germany's successes. Der Kaiser won the Ballon d'Or with 81 points, while Gerd Muller and Gunter Netzer finished in a close second place with 79 points.
#2 Bobby Charlton - Eusebio (1 point, 1966)
Bobby Charlton became a bonafide legend in 1966. The Manchester United great had enjoyed an impressive season with the Red Devils and had inspired England to their first-ever FIFA World Cup triumph.
Charlton should have been a shoo-in for the Ballon d'Or but went on to face intense competition for the 1965 Ballon d'Or winner, Eusebio. Portugal's legendary striker was the most prolific goalscorer of his time and nearly denied Bobby Charlton his crowning glory in 1966.
The English midfielder held on to win the award by a solitary vote and took his place among the sport's all-time greats. Both Charlton and Eusebio were the best players of the 1960s and this particular Ballon d'Or race is a fair reflection of what was once a budding rivalry.
#1 Matthias Sammer - Ronaldo (1 point, 1996)
As far as fine margins go, Matthias Sammer's Ballon d'Or victory in 1996 takes the cake. The German libero enjoyed an excellent season with both club and country, winning the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund. He also went on to win the Player of the Tournament award in Germany's successful Euro 1996 campaign.
Sammer was certainly a favourite to win the award but a certain Ronaldo's exhilarating performances gave the German a run for his money. Ronaldo had joined Barcelona in 1996 and was ripping La Liga apart after a successful breakthrough season with PSV Eindhoven. The Brazilian prodigy had scored 19 goals in only 21 Eredivisie appearances and was hot on Sammer's heels in the Ballon d'Or race.
Matthias Sammer had silverware on his side, however, and eventually won the Ballon d'Or with 144 points. Ronaldo was breathing down his neck with 143 points and went on to win the Ballon d'Or after a record-breaking season with Barcelona in 1997.
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