30 most successful Ballon d’Or players revealed by new study

Harry Kane became the latest winner of the prestigious Ballon d'Or on Monday, beating Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to the ultimate individual prize in football.

The race is on to win the award next year and Mbappe will be eager to finally place it in his trophy cabinet. He's statistically among the most successful players in the award's history.

Sports Illustrated conducted a study by awarding points for how many times players had won and also placed in the top three of the Ballon d'Or. It features some legendary names and a few stars who are still playing.

30-21

In 30th place is Paolo Maldini, the ultimate one-club man. Probably best defender of all time Maldini never won the award, but the AC Milan icon earned two 3rd place finishes (1994, 2003).

Above Maldini is Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who also never won the award. He was controversially beaten to the prize in 2003 (2nd) and 2006 (3rd) despite incredible numbers and silverware.

Rivaldo is next up in 28th place and he spent his career somewhat playing second fiddle to Ronaldinho and Ronaldo Nazario for Brazil.  The Barcelona hero did win the award in 1999 following a stellar campaign for club and country.

Roberto Baggio is another Italian who spent his career challenging for major honours.  "The Divine Ponytail" won the Ballon d'Or in 1993, putting him up there as one of Italy's greatest ever attackers.

In 26th place is the late great George Best. The Manchester United maverick won the golden ball in 1968 and added a 3rd place finish in 1971.

A player who would have anyone out of their seat, Ronaldinho is 25th, having won the Ballon d'Or in 2005 and finishing third in 2004 during his Barcelona peak.

Next up is Ukrainian icon Andriy Shevchenko. A lethal striker, he took home the award in 2004 and reached the podium two other times while cementing his legacy as an AC Milan great.

Luis Figo won the award in 2000 then moved from Barcelona to Real Madrid where he didn't claim the honour again. The Portuguese hero finished second on the podium in 2001.

Staying in Spain, two of their greatest midfielders just miss out on the top 20. Despite never winning the award, Andrés Iniesta, is 22nd, having finished in second place in 2010 and third in 2012.

Iniesta's midfield partner, Xavi Hernández is another legend who missed out on the award. Without Messi or Ronaldo the Spaniard surely would have at least one Golden Ball, as he finished third in three consecutive years (2009, 2010, 2011).

20-11

Going back to the sixties, Gianni Rivera dominated European football at AC Milan. The Italian playmaker won the award in 1969 and finished second in 1963.

Germany's first entry is Lothar Matthäus, a midfield general who claimed the ultimate prize in 1990. This came after leading his nation to World Cup glory, before he finished second in 1991.

French magician, Zinedine Zidane won his sole Ballon d'Or in 1998 after firing France to World Cup glory. The Real Madrid icon also took second place in 2000 and third in 1997.

The Young Talent of the Year award is named after Raymond Kopa and he is ranked 17th on this list. A Real Madrid legend of the 1950s who won the prize in 1958, he also earned one second place and two third place finishes.

Not to be confused with the former Liverpool striker, Luis Suárez was a world-class Spanish midfielder during the sixties. He took the award home in 1960 before finishing as runner-up in 1961 and 1964.

Arguably the best Portugal player at international level, Eusébio won the award in 1965. The Benfica legend narrowly missed out on two more, finishing second in 1962 and 1966.

Kane has followed in Bobby Charlton's footsteps and England's 1966 World Cup hero won the award that same year. The late Manchester United attacker followed it up with two second place finishes in 1967 and 1968.

Winning the award in 1970 thanks to his outrageous goalscoring, Gerd Muller is in 13th place. That's also because the Germany icon finished second once and with the bronze medal twice.

A German powerhouse, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge won back-to-back awards in 1980 and 1981. Taking 12th place on this list, he finished second in 1979.

England's most successful Ballon d'Or player is Kevin Keegan. He is the only English player to win the award twice, taking it home in 1978 and 1979 while playing for Hamburg, and finishing second in 1977.

Top 10

10: Alfredo Di Stefano

In 10th place is Alfredo Di Stéfano who won the award twice and finished as runner-up once. The architect of Real Madrid's early European Cup monopoly, Di Stéfano dictated play from deep and finished chances with ruthless efficiency, winning in 1957 and 1959.

9: Ronaldo Nazario

Ronaldo Nazário is a two-time winner and he also took second place and third during his storied career. "O Fenômeno" won his first award at just 21 years old in 1997. After horrific knee injuries, his miraculous comeback to lead Brazil to the 2002 World Cup earned him a second golden ball.

8: Marco van Basten

One of the most aesthetically perfect strikers to ever grace the pitch. The Dutchman reigned over world football as the Ballon d'Or winner in 1988, 1989, 1992 and he may well have won more if he hadn't been forced to retire at 28 from injuries.

7. Johan Cruyff

Johan Cruyff entirely rewrote the tactical philosophy of the sport. As the talisman of Total Football, his out of this world play style made him the defining European player of the 1970s, winning in 1971, 1973, and 1974.

6. Michel Platini

The French playmaker achieved something incredibly rare by winning the Ballon d'Or in three consecutive years (1983, 1984, 1985). During his peak at Juventus, Platini was one of the best goal scoring midfielders ever seen .

5. Luka Modrić

Luka Modrić broke the Messi-Ronaldo stranglehold in 2018 and has continued to show no risk of aging still playing at high level at 40. A case of patience paying off, his exploits for Madrid and Croatia earned him the ultimate prize.

4. Franz Beckenbauer

Defenders rarely get a look-in for individual awards, but "Der Kaiser" fundamentally revolutionised the position. His elegance and defensive mastery earned him two victories in 1972 and 1976, enough podium finishes to secure the highest spot for a defensive player in history.

3. Karim Benzema

While he only won the award once in 2022 following a superhuman Champions League campaign, Karim Benzema's incredible consistency and goal scoring at Madrid place him top three all time in votes.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo

A testament to hard work and machine like accuracy, Cristiano Ronaldo evolved from a dazzling winger into football's ultimate goalscoring cyborg. His five victories and six runner-up finishes were part of the best player rivalry with the man at number one.

1. Lionel Messi

The greatest player the game has ever produced, Lionel Messi’s record eight awards will likely never be broken. Factor in his five runner-up finishes, and Messi has stood on the Ballon d'Or podium a staggering 14 times, making him the most successful player in the history of the sport.

Data via Sports Illustrated