5 youngest Ballon d'Or winners in history

#1 Ronaldo 'El Fenomeno' Nazario (1997; 21 years, 3 months, 5 days)

Ronaldo Nazario

The great Ronaldo Nazario, despite being plagued by injuries throughout his career, is one of the greatest players to have graced the game and etched his name in football history by becoming the youngest recipient of the Ballon d'Or in 1997, at the age of 21.

Having scored goals for fun with PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie, Barcelona took notice of his talent and immediately made a move for him, as he joined the Catalan club for a then world-record fee of $19.5 million. Dubbed as the most naturally talented player to ever set foot on a football pitch by his peers, Ronaldo broke multiple long-standing records in his solitary season at Barcelona, where he was in peak physical condition and played the best football of his career.

Having spearheaded Barcelona to the UEFA Cup winners cup, the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey with a staggering tally of 37 goals in 34 appearances, El Fenomeno won the Ballon d'Or in 1997 just 3 months after his 21st birthday.

While Inter Milan's $27 million capture of the striker made him the first player to break the world record transfer fee twice after Diego Maradona, Ronaldo's career went on a downward spiral since then, as injuries hampered his road to greatness. Despite his recurring problems, he still retired with 2 Ballons d'Or, 2 FIFA World Cups and numerous other accolades, cementing his status one of the greats of the game.