By cy.Reporter, 18 October, 2022
A few hours after Karim Benzema was awarded the Ballon d'Or, cybetNews reminds us of the 10 footballers who have won the award for the best footballer in the world the most!
10. In the 10th place with the most conquests is the German Karl Heinz Rummenigge. He won the golden ball twice in his career in 1980 and 1981, while in 1979 he was in the second place of the institution. In 1980 he was at the top of Europe, as he won the European Football Championship with West Germany.
9. The English ex-footballer Kevin Keegan is also in the two consecutive conquests of the golden ball. He conquered the institution in 1978 and 1979, when he was competing in Germany with the shirt of Hamburg. In the first season in 33 matches he scored 12 goals, while in the second season in 35 appearances he scored 17 times.
8. The legendary Alfredo Di Stefano also has the two conquests. The Real Madrid legend won his first Ballon d'Or in 1957 and his second in 1959. In 282 matches for Real Madrid, he scored 216 goals, while winning the Champions Cup 5 years in a row from 1956 to 1960, while he was crowned champion Spain with Real Madrid 8 times.
7. Ronaldo could not be missing from the top 10 footballers with the most conquests, as he also won the award twice. The first time in 1997, when he scored 34 goals in 37 matches for Barcelona and the second time in 2002, when he won the World Cup with the Brazilian national team, he scored the two winning goals in the final against Germany and he was also the top scorer in the tournament.
6. Franz Beckenbauer won the Ballon d'Or twice. The German defender not only stood out for his defensive duties at Bayern Munich and West Germany but scored as few defenders. In 560 appearances at club level he scored 79 times and received the Ballon d'Or in 1972 and 1976.
5. In 5th place is Marco Van Basten. The Dutchman won the Ballon d'Or three times and scored 219 goals in 281 appearances for Milan and Ajax. He won the first Ballon d'Or in 1988, followed by the second the following year and the third in 1992.
4. Another Dutchman is on the list as the 'Flying Dutchman' is one of the footballers who left his 'mark' in World football and influenced both the Dutch school and Barcelona with his philosophy. Johan Cruyff won the Ballon d'Or three times. The first was in 1971, the second in 1973 and the third in 1974. The following year in 1975 he won third place in the institution.
3. Michel Platini completes the footballers who have won the golden ball three times. The Frenchman won the title three years in a row. In 1983, 1984, 1985, celebrating the victory of the European Championship in the jersey of the French National Team in 1984. He twice won the third place in the institution, the first in 1977 and the second in 1980.
2. With a big difference from the previous positions, in second place with the most conquests is Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar has been so far 12 times in the final three of the institution! He won the first place five times in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, the second place in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2018, while in 2019 he was in the third place. However, as many of his teammates say, he will not stop playing football if he is not in first place with the most conquests.
1. First position in which Lionel Messi is. The holder of this year's golden ball will hardly see another footballer surpass him, as his percentages in the institution exceed human levels and reach alien dimensions. He was in the top three for 13 years! He was named the best footballer in the world 7 times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021), 5 times he was in second place (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017), while in 2007 he was named third best footballer in the world.