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The Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious individual prize in football. It is an annual football award presented by French news magazine France Football to the best footballer of the season.
The Ballon d'Or recognizes players who have demonstrated exceptional skill, performance, and leadership throughout the year both at the club and international level.
Winning the Ballon d'Or is a major achievement for any player and every footballer dreams of getting their hands on the much coveted trophy. The award is also closely followed by football fans and media around the world, generating excitement and anticipation every year.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five greatest European Ballon d'Or winners of all time.
#5 Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. He began his career as a player with Bayern Munich in 1964, where he quickly established himself as a dominant force in the centre-back position.
Beckenbauer played an important role in helping Bayern Munich win three consecutive European Cup titles in the 1970s.
In addition to his success at club level, Beckenbauer also achieved a great deal of success on the international stage. He won the World Cup as a player with West Germany in 1974 and later as a manager in 1990.
Beckenbauer's outstanding performances on the field earned him two Ballon d'Or awards in 1972 and 1976.
#4 Marco van Basten
Marco van Basten is widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time. The Dutchman began his professional career at AFC Ajax, where he won three Eredivisie titles and a European Cup Winners' Cup. He then transferred to AC Milan in 1987.
Van Basten's time at Milan was marked by extraordinary success, including three Serie A titles, two European Cups and three Ballons d'Or. He won the award in 1988, 1989 and 1992.
Unfortunately for Van Basten, he picked up an injury at the age of 28 which forced him into retirement just two years later.
#3 Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane is one of the most iconic footballers of all time. The French midfielder started his career at Cannes before moving to Bordeaux. He then joined Juventus, where he won two Serie A titles and reached two UEFA Champions League finals.
The Frenchman moved to Real Madrid in 2001, and achieved even greater success, winning the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League.
Zidane's crowning achievement was undoubtedly his performance at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He led France to their first ever World Cup title, scoring two goals in the final against Brazil.
The Frenchman also won the Ballon d'Or in the same year, cementing his status as one of the greatest players in the world.
#2 Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff is a revolutionary in the world of football. The legendary Dutchman popularized the 'Total Football' philosophy and is one of the most influential figures in the history of the beautiful game.
Not only is he one of the greatest players of all time, but he is also one of the greatest managers to have graced the sport. Cruyff was phenomenal during his playing days and won the Ballon d'Or thrice in his career, namely in 1971, 1973 and 1974.
He won the Eredivisie title a whopping eight times with AFC Ajax and the European Cup three times in his career. During his time at Barcelona, he also won the La Liga title and the Copa del Rey.
Cruyff also captained the Netherlands side at the 1974 FIFA World Cup. They are widely considered to be the greatest team to have not won football's greatest trophy.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time and is arguably the greatest goalscorer in the history of the sport. Ronaldo is one of the most decorated players of the modern era and has enjoyed an extremely illustrious career.
He has won five UEFA Champions League titles, three Premier League trophies, two La Liga titles, one UEFA European championship abd two Serie A titles, among various other trophies.
Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or award a whopping five times in his career. He is also the leading goalscorer in men's international football with 118 goals to his name.
