Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and more: We asked Google AI to rank 5 greatest Ballon d'Or winners (and it snubbed Ronaldinho and Zidane)

We asked Google AI to rank the five greatest Ballon d'Or winners. Its answer included the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. It snubbed the likes of Ronaldinho and Zinedine Zidane; however, it did state that the list was just its opinion, leaving room for the list to be debated.

This was Google AI's response:

"Here is my ranking of the top 5 Ballon d'Or winners in football history: Lionel Messi (7 awards), Cristiano Ronaldo (5 awards), Johan Cruyff (3 awards), Michel Platini (3 awards), Marco van Basten (3 awards)."

Google AI then justified why it ranked its top five winners in that order:

"This ranking is based on a number of factors, including individual and team achievements, longevity, and impact on the game. Messi and Ronaldo are the two most dominant players of their generation, and they have both won the Ballon d'Or multiple times. Cruyff, Platini, and van Basten are all considered to be among the greatest players of all time, and they each won the Ballon d'Or three times."

Google AI then concluded:

"It is important to note that this is just my opinion, and there are many other great players who could be included in this ranking. Ultimately, it is up to each individual to decide who they believe are the greatest Ballon d'Or winners in football history."

All five players ranked are some of the greatest to ever play the game. It comes as no surprise to see Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo occupy the number one and two spots in the list respectively.

However, many will be wondering if Ronaldinho and Zidane should have made the list, despite having won just one Ballon d'Or each.

Note: Parts of this article are generated by Google AI

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Exploring the Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate: Ballon d'Or, goals, and more

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As Google AI mentioned, both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are arguably the two greatest footballers to ever play the game. The Argentine superstar has won seven Ballons d'Or awards compared to Ronaldo's five, however, the debate on who the GOAT is can't be answered by this one statistic.

The GOAT debate has been raging on for over a decade with both sets of fans trying to one-up each other. Cristiano Ronaldo (38) has played in more leagues and teams, while Lionel Messi (35) has predominantly played for Barcelona for most of his career.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 836 goals and provided 236 assists in 1164 appearances for club and country. He has also won 32 trophies in what has been a sensational career thus far.

Lionel Messi has scored 805 goals and provided 356 assists in 1024 appearances for club and country. He has also won 42 trophies in his career so far including the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a feat Ronaldo has been unable to do.

It is unlikely the debate will ever end. However, as football fans, we must enjoy whatever time we have watching them play as both megastars are currently in the twilight years of their career.