7 players who have won the Ballon d'Or consecutively

#1 Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona)

Lionel Messi

The Argentinean became the third-youngest player to win the Ballon d'Or when he lifted the award in 2009. By then, Lionel Messi had already become a household name, churning up magic on the pitch and mesmerizing fans around the world with his ball control. He started a record-breaking spree that propelled him to the top of the world and his tryst with the Ballon d'Or had just begun.

The following year, Messi lifted his second Ballon d'Or, as the world watched in awe. The Argentinean became only the 5th player to win it back to back, but Messi had no intention of stopping. In 2011, following another round of record toppling displays on the pitch, Barcelona's talisman completed a hattrick of Ballon d'Or awards, becoming only the second player in the world to do so after Michel Platini. While the world rejoiced in his genius, Messi was hardly the one to bask in his glory.

The Argentinean made history in 2012 by picking up his 4th Ballon d'Or, becoming the first player ever to do so and the only one to date to do so consecutively. He remains the youngest player to touch that achievement, a record that won't be broken anytime soon. Messi picked up his 5th Ballon d'Or in 2015 and is in contention to win the award once again this year.