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Clinching the Ballon D’or is a massive achievement for any footballerBallon D’or or the ‘Golden Ball’ in French was first awarded in 1956 by the French Football Association. Till 1995, it was awarded only to European players but later on players playing for European clubs were also included.In 2009, FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon D’or were combined to make it the FIFA Ballon D’or which has been shared by only two players since its inception; Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.Let us take a look at those gifted football players who have won the prestigious award, more than once.
#5 Marco Van Basten
The list is followed by yet another Dutchman who had his career cut short following an injury which forced him to retire prematurely at 30. He won the Ballon D’or thrice in 1988, 89 and 92.
He had a prolific goal scoring career as a forward with 300 goals in his account. Basten started his glorious journey with Ajax and made a move to AC Milan in 1987. In his first season, he scored 19 goals in Serie A and also won the European Cup. He continued his amazing run in the next year and went to win Ballon D’ors in 1988 and 1989.
When Fabio Capello took over, Basten started to regain his touch and went on to win the Serie A. He scored a whopping 29 goals and claimed the Ballon D’or once again in 1992. Basten also became the first player to score four goals in a Champions League match.
He was frequently seen scoring volleys and bicycle kicks. The maverick striker was equally adept in shooting with both the left and right foot.
#4 Johan Cruyff
Dutch football is incomplete without Cruyff. He is next on the list with three Ballon D’ors on his side with two clubs. Regarded as one of the most complete footballers ever, he was voted as the European player of the century in 1999.
His first Ballon D’or came in the year 1971 with Ajax when he not only won the Dutch but was also the European Player of the year award. He was the highest scorer in Eredivisie and won the European Cup too with Ajax.
During the next summer, he was transferred to Barcelona with a massive transfer fee. He helped Barcelona win their first La Liga trophy since 1960 and in the process he helped the team defeat arch rivals Real Madrid 5-0. He also scored the famous ‘phantom goal’ with his right heel and went on to win Ballon D’or in 1973. His final award came in 1974 in the next year when he again won the La Liga with Barcelona.
#3 Michel Platini
His career might be marred right now with charges of corruption followed by a ban of 8 years, but he is unarguably one of the greatest French Footballers of all time. He is often termed as ‘Le Roi’ or ‘The King’ for his uncanny ability to change the game. He has three Ballon D’ors to his name.
A complete player, he was even named on the FIFA World Cup Dream team and also included in Pele’s top 100 living players. His string of Ballon D’ors started in 1983 when he joined Juventus from Saint Etienne. The first few months in the new club were difficult as he found it hard to make a start in team full of Italian World Cup winners. But during the second half of the season, things took a downturn and he took ‘The Old Lady’ to the finals of the European Cup and made them acquire the Italian cup in the same year.
In 1984, he won the Serie A, European cup and European Super Cup. He capped off a prolific season by clinching the European championship with France, therefore justifying the Ballon D’or.
The last one came in 1985 when he led his team to success in the European Cup against Liverpool. The final went on to be a dramatic one as the Heysel Stadium faced a disaster where 39 people were killed and around 500 were injured in a significant catastrophe. Platini was condemned for not celebrating the team’s success but he gave scored the crucial goal and proved to be the gamechanger.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo
The contemporary football world is incomplete without naming Messi’s arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo who won it thrice with two different clubs in various leagues.
Voted as the best Portuguese player ever on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Portuguese Football Federation, he has been a prolific forward throughout his career and recently completed his 500 senior goals.
In 2008, he won the Champions league trophy with Manchester United in a penalty shootout against Chelsea and his 31 goals in the Premier League won him the Ballon D’or.
In 2013, he went on a goal scoring streak in the Champions League with 17 in this season and a total of 67 goals which was the maximum by any player. In the La Liga, he finished with 31 goals in 30 games and was awarded the European Golden Boot award alongside Luis Suarez.
During the subsequent season, he won the Champions League and was lauded worldwide for his relentless goal scoring ability. Although he has not set the world on fire in the national scene, he remains a fan favourite.
#1 Lionel Messi
Messi and records seem to go hand in hand. The diminutive striker who suffered a growth hormone deficiency at 13 left no stone unturned to make everyone believe that with talent and hard work, nothing in this world is a dream even if it was about being the best footballer.
The Argentine won 4 Ballon D’ors in a row between year 2009-12 and recaptured the award again in 2015 to take his tally to five. The Barcelona forward has won 7 La Liga, four UEFA Champions League and three Copa Del Rey titles.
He also holds the Guinness record for scoring 295 goals in the La Liga and the list goes on if his achievements are to be penned down. The only thing that lacks in his kitty is the FIFA World Cup that he said he could trade for all his Ballon D’ors.
Succeeding Ronaldinho in Barcelona was a tricky ask. However, he soaked up the pressure and established himself amongst the greatest. His dribbling, ability to make moves and get past the defenders in no time make him a stupendous player that very few players can surpass in the coming years.
