Ballon d’Or 2023 will be the 67th annual ceremony where France Football will present the prestigious award to the best players in the 2022-23 season. This edition will be marked as only the second time the Ballon d’Or is awarded based on the performances and results of the soccer season instead of a calendar year.
The award has been awarded since 1956 and has been won by 38 different players. Among these players, 10 players have won the prestigious award more than once, whereas, five players have this award more than twice. It is to be noted that the Ballon d’Or award was awarded to only European players till 1994. This key distinction was the reason, greats like Pele and Diego Maradona never won the award.
Among the 38 winners, these are the top winners of this prestigious award in its six decades-long history:
Marco van Basten – Three times
The legendary Dutch striker won the Ballon d’Or three times during his legendary spell at AC Milan. He won the award in 1988, retained it in 1989, and won back the award from French legend, Jean-Pierre Papin, in 1992. During his spell at AC Milan, the striker played 201 matches and scored 124 goals. Among these, 90 goals came in Serie A.
Prime Marco van basten 1988 – 1992
221 games
135 goals
51 assists3x ballon dor
3x UEFA best
1x FIFA Wpoty
1x UEFA Euros
2x Seria A
2x Champions League
3x Supercoppa Italiana
2x UEFA Super Cup
2x Intercontinental cupSo so underrated his prime is one the best ever pic.twitter.com/ojQ295670d
— Ronan (@rln99_LFC) March 14, 2021
The Swan of Ultrecht was remembered for his consistency during his spell on the Italian side. During these three accolades, the Dutch striker helped AC Milan lift two UCL titles and three Serie A titles. The legendary striker also played a pivotal role in the Dutch’s triumph at the 1988 UEFA Euro, which helped him secure the Ballon d’Or in 1988. The striker never finished 2nd or 3rd in the Ballon d’Or race.
Johan Cruyff – Three times
Johan Cruyff joins the list with his three Ballon d’Or triumphs. The Dutch forward won the accolade in 1971, 1973 and 1974. He missed out in 1972 when German legend, Franz Beckenbauer, won the award over him. The Dutch legend won two Ballon d’Or during his time with the Dutch club, Ajax.
Back in the past! The 1971 Ballon d’Or Ranking with Johan Cruyff!#ballondor pic.twitter.com/fcQjNELy4m
— Ballon d’Or #ballondor (@ballondor) June 27, 2023
Cruyff moved to FC Barcelona in the summer of 1973 and won his final Ballon d’Or in 1974 for his performances with FC Barcelona. Cruyff won three European Championships (later transformed into UCL) with Ajax, two Eredivisie titles with Ajax, and One La Liga with FC Barcelona during this period.
Cryuff was instrumental for Ajax, FC Barcelona, and the Dutch national team, which helped win three Ballon d’Or in four years. He also finished third in 1975 which placed him higher than Marco van Basten on this list.
Michel Platini – Three times
The legendary French midfielder won three back-to-back Ballon d’Or during his stint at Juventus. He was the first player ever to win three Ballon d’Or in a row. Platini moved to Juventus from Saint-Étienne in 1982. He was the top scorer in the league during the first three seasons at the Italian side.
Tangu #BallonDor waaze kuitoa ni wachezaji wawili tu waliochukua mara tatu mfululize
1. Michel Platini (1983-85)
2. Leo Messi (2009-12) pic.twitter.com/DVCUNc5oc8— Mongo Rami (@MongoRami) October 23, 2023
Platini won the 1984/85 European Championship (later transformed into UCL) with Juventus, along with two Serie A titles.
He was also instrumental in France’s triumph in the 1984 UEFA Euro. Platini was the best player in the world in the early 1980s which is evident with his Ballon d’Or victories in 1983,1984 and1985. He also finished in third place on two occasions (1977 and 1980) which placed him third on this list.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Five times
Now on to the modern greats. Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or award five times, making him the second most successful player for the accolade. He won his first Ballon d’Or in 2008 for his record-breaking performances in that calendar year for Manchester United.
He moved to Real Madrid in 2009 which proved pivotal for his career. From 2013 to 2017, he won this accolade four times out of five occasions. During this period, he helped Real Madrid secure four UEFA Champions League titles.
If Haaland doesn’t win the Ballon d’Or today, Cristiano Ronaldo will remain as the last player to win it in the Premier League. 🔥🐐#BallonDor #Messi pic.twitter.com/pNlp9V6K2h
— NK Kapoor⁷ (@NkKapoor_04) October 30, 2023
Apart from winning the award on five occasions, he has been on the podium 12 times (second most all-time), including finishing runner-ups six times and a third-place finish in 2019. Now at 38, it is highly unlikely that Ronaldo can catch up to become the all-time leader in this list.
Lionel Messi – Seven times
Lionel Messi has won the most Ballon d’Or in its history, with seven titles to his name ahead of the 2023 ceremony. He won the award for the first time in 2009 for his incredible season with FC Barcelona. From 2009 to 2012, he won the award four times in a row, making him the first player to win the award four times in a row.
Since 2009, he has had the award in three different decades, where the latest victory came in 2021 where he led Argentina to a Copa América triumph. The exploits of the little Argentine have been well documented throughout his career as he enters the 2023 ceremony as one of the favorites alongside, Erling Haaland.
Johan Cryuff famously predicted that Messi would be the player to win the most Ballon d’Or in history. That prediction has come true as the little Argentine looks to add the record-extending eight titles in Paris on Monday, October 30.