The pinnacle for any individual in football is to win the Ballon D'or but some winners rank higher than others when it comes to performances on the pitch as well as trophies.
With this year's Ballon d'Or awards ceremony just around the corner, it's anyone's guess who will come out on top. Harry Kane enjoyed a remarkable season in front of goal, Lamine Yamal starred in Barcelona's La Liga title triumph, Rodri produced World Cup heroics and Kylian Mbappe came to the fore for club and country.
With that said, here we rank the best Ballon d'Or-winning seasons in football history. The rules for the list are that anyone who has one multiple golden balls can only be picked once with their best campaign.
10. Kaka (2006/07)
Before Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo shared the stage for the next 10 years, Kaka was the undisputed king of Europe.
During the 2006/07 season, the Brazilian playmaker single-handedly dragged an aging AC Milan side to Champions League glory, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 10 goals.
Kaka's breathtaking performance against Manchester United at Old Trafford with one of the best solo goals Europe's elite club competition has seen is probably at the top of his highlight reel.
9. George Weah (1994/95)
The only African player ever to win the world player of the year trophy, George Weah was a force to be reckoned with at PSG then AC Milan.
Weah scored 18 goals across the season, including seven in the Champions League, scoring a legendary solo goal against Bayern Munich that cemented his status as the ultimate complete forward of the 90s.
While the numbers might not look game changing, the performances left defences quaking in their boots.
8. Ronaldinho (2005/06)
Possibly the most entertaining footballer in the history of the game, Ronaldinho kept bums on seats while also bringing Barcelona back to the top of the mountain.
Winning the 2005 Ballon d'Or during his absolute peak, the Brazilian delivered 26 goals and 24 assists across all competitions over the course of the 2005/06 campaign.
Ronaldinho was football's ultimate entertainer winning La Liga and the Champions League. Then getting a standing ovation from the Bernabeu after his 2 solo goals against Real Madrid.
7. Marco van Basten (1988/89)
Retired too young but prime Marco van Basten was terrifying, the lethal edge of Arrigo Sacchi's revolutionary AC Milan side, ending the season with an incredible 33 goals and 14 assists across all competitions.
Van Basten dominated the European Cup with 10 goals in the competition, famously scoring twice in the final against Steaua Bucharest to secure Milan's crown and establish himself as the most feared number nine on the planet.
6. Michel Platini (1983/84)
Before he was president of FIFA, Michel Platini was one of the best goal scoring midfielders the game produced.
Platini's 1984 campaign is arguably the greatest year any midfielder has ever produced. He dictated play for Juventus while finishing as Serie A's top scorer with 20 league goals (25 across all competitions).
Not only did he lead Juventus to the Serie A title and the European Cup Winners' Cup, but he then went to the European Championship and scored nine goals in five games to win the tournament for France.
5. Cristiano Ronaldo (2013/14)
The year Cristiano Ronaldo reached his goal scoring peak while also delivering Real Madrid their 10th Champions League. An absolute masterclass in athletic dominance and ruthless finishing.
Ronaldo ended the season with a mind-boggling 51 goals and 17 assists in just 47 games. Crucially, he scored a record 17 goals in a single Champions League campaign.
The Portuguese star had started to fall short in big games in Europe but that myth after this year was put well and truly to bed.
4. Johan Cruyff (1973/74)
Johan Cruyff didn't just win football matches in 1974; he revolutionized how the sport was played.
Following his move to Barcelona, he immediately ended the club's 14-year wait for a La Liga title, contributing 32 goals across all competitions while dismantling Real Madrid 5-0 at the Bernabéu.
The legendary Dutchman then took "Total Football" to the global stage, scoring three goals and winning the Golden Ball at the 1974 World Cup.
3. Karim Benzema (2021/22)
Probably one of the most underrated winners in recent years, Karim Benzema took the credit he deserved by carrying Real Madrid as the final member of 'BBC' (his trio with Gareth Bale and Ronaldo).
Benzema produced arguably the greatest individual Champions League knockout campaign in football history, registering back-to-back hat-tricks against PSG and Chelsea.
The Frenchman then ended the 2021/22 season with an astonishing 44 goals and 15 assists in just 46 club appearances, acting as the absolute talisman as Real Madrid secured a La Liga and Champions League double.
2. Zinedine Zidane (1997/98)
Before he got his world record move to Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane was the world's most elegant player while dominating for Juventus and France.
The ultimate big-game player delivering when the lights were brightest.
Zidane was the heartbeat of the Juventus side, recording 11 goals and 8 assists to win Serie A and reach the Champions League final. However, his Ballon d'Or was secured on the international stage.
The heroic Frenchman's two towering headers in the 1998 World Cup final against Brazil instantly elevated him from a generational playmaker to an all time great.
1. Lionel Messi (2011/12)
The best season that only he could've dreamed of, Lionel Messi (at 24) achieved the most dominant statistical and performance year of all time.
While Barcelona only won the Copa del Rey, Messi's individual output reached a level that will likely never be replicated. The Argentine scored a ridiculous 73 goals and put on 29 assists in 60 club games.
Messi finished the calendar year of 2012 with 91 total goals, a number probably never reached again. The most man of the match awards as well to show it wasn't just empty numbers
