Facts

Ronaldo’s 2002 Ballon d’Or win represented more than just the success of a player within a single calendar year. It

Widely considered in debates of the greatest footballer of all time, Lionel Messi won his seventh Ballon d’Or on 29th

Pavel Nedved may be the most controversial Ballon d’Or winner of all-time. His 2003 victory made him only the second

When Ronaldinho won the Ballon d’Or in 2005 he became only the third Brazilian player ever handed the award. In

In 2006, Fabio Cannavaro became the first Ballon d’Or winning defender in a decade. Typically, defensive players are largely absent

In 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo won his first-ever Ballon d’Or. It would mark the beginning of a 10-year dominance between himself

At the close of 2009, Lionel Messi won his first-ever Ballon d’Or award. His victory was emphatic. At the time

Lionel Messi’s 2011 Ballon d’Or win was his third in a row. The Argentine equalled Johan Cruyff’s three wins (1971,