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#3 Cristiano Ronaldo - Lionel Messi (276 points, 2017)
Only two names have been shockingly consistent when it comes to Ballon d'Or races over the past decade. While Lionel Messi secured five of his Ballon d'Or victories between 2009 and 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo bounced back with a couple of his own in the years that followed.
In the 2016-17 season, Cristiano Ronaldo scored 42 goals in all competitions and helped Real Madrid to the La Liga title. Ronaldo ended Barcelona's stranglehold in the league and won Los Blancos their first La Liga triumph since 2012.
The Portuguese talisman also took his UEFA Champions League form to unprecedented heights and scored twice against Juventus in the final. The Real Madrid striker outperformed Lionel Messi in 2017 and drew level with his arch-rival by winning his fifth Ballon d'Or.
#2 Luka Modric - Cristiano Ronaldo (277 points, 2018)
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have duopolised the Ballon d'Or to an unimaginable extent over the past decade and have won 11 of the 12 awards between them. Luka Modric is the only player to have ended their Ballon d'Or dominance and did so in exceptional fashion in 2018.
Modric played an instrumental role in Real Madrid's third consecutive Champions League triumph and was at his peak for most of the year. The midfielder also spearheaded Croatia's campaign in the 2018 World Cup and led them to the final of the competition.
Modric's Ballon d'Or triumph in 2018 was always on the cards but the margin of his victory did take a fair few by surprise. The midfield maestro finished ahead of his teammate Cristiano Ronaldo by a hefty 277-point margin and became the first Croatian to win the Ballon d'Or.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - Lionel Messi (429 points, 2016)
Ballon d'Or contests between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are often intense and even affairs that tend to split the footballing world right down the middle. In 2016, however, Cristiano Ronaldo won the award by the biggest margin in history.
While Real Madrid narrowly missed out on the La Liga title in 2016, they stormed their way to their 11th UEFA Champions League triumph. Cristiano Ronaldo also went on to win Euro 2016 with Portugal and established himself as one of the greatest players of all time.
In addition to silverware, the Portuguese superstar also broke a number of records in 2016 and became Real Madrid's all-time top scorer in both La Liga and in all competitions. Ronaldo secured an astonishing 745 points and was well ahead of Lionel Messi, who finished in a distant second place with 316 points.
Also Read: Top 5 Ballon d'Or winners with the least points difference
