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Many great players have won the prestigious Ballon d'Or - an individual award established by the French Football magazine. Since its introduction in 1956, 64 editions of the award have taken place, with 42 different winners walking away with the Ballon d'Or accolade.
It is important to note that only players playing in Europe were eligible for the award till 1995. Due to that rule, all-time greats like Diego Maradona, Pele and Garrincha, unfortunately, missed out on the Ballon d'Or award, despite having the statistics and silverware to match.
However, Maradona and Pele received honourary Ballon d'Or awards for their services to football in 1995 and 2013 respectively.
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Pele was also elected the 'Football Player of the Century' by France Football in 1999, in consultation with the previous winners of the Ballon d'Or award.
While individual awards do not have the final say on a player's quality throughout their career, they do separate the best from the rest. One can see that the greatest players in history often made it a habit to win - be it for the team or on a personal level. However, only a handful of these greats were recognised for their efforts by being awarded the Ballon d'Or award.
On that note, here's a look at a hypothetical greatest XI of players who won the Ballon d'Or award.:
Note: This is a hypothetical list, and some players have been deployed out of their usual positions.
Goalkeeper - Lev Yashin (Dynamo Moscow & USSR)
Lev Ivanovich Yashin was born in 1929 in Moscow, Soviet Union, in a family of industrial workers. He spent most of his childhood and early teens working for various ammunition factories supporting the USSR's war efforts.
Yashin was part of the factory's football team, and was spotted playing for them one day, making a great impact on the pitch. Such was his pedigree that Yashin was invited to join the Dynamo Moscow youth team when he was just 18.
Lev Yashin went on to play for Dynamo for the entire duration of his 20-year long professional career. With them, he won the USSR Championship five times, and the Soviet Cup thrice.
With his tall stature, he was an imposing presence, and he displayed great athleticism while making saves. His spectacular ability and positional sense earned him the nickname 'Black Spider' internationally, while he was more popular as 'Black Panther' locally.
Yashin was called up to the Soviet national team in 1954, and went on to make 78 appearances. He won gold at the 1956 Summer Olympics and the inaugural European Championship in 1960 (formerly known as the European Nations' Cup).
Yashin also stopped a staggering 151 penalty kicks in his career - the most by a goalkeeper in history. He also kept over 270 clean sheets in all appearances for club and country.
He won the Ballon d'Or award in 1963. That year, he starred in the England vs Rest of the World game, earning plaudits for his performances. Yashin remains the only goalkeeper in history to have won the Ballon d'Or award.
Defender - Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus and Italy)
Fabio Cannavaro began his career with Napoli before moving to Parma and establishing himself as one of Italy's best defenders, winning both domestic and European silverware.
He had short trophyless spells at Inter Milan and Juventus after that. Cannavaro moved to Real Madrid in 2006 following the Calciopoli scandal that cast a black cloud over Italian football.
The Italian defender was known for his leadership qualities and ability to organise and rally his troops. That led to success with the national team as well.
Cannavaro was crucial to the Italy side that reached the Euro 2000 final, only to lose to France on Golden Goal'. He was named Italy's captain following Paolo Maldini's retirement in 2002, and guided the nation to a FIFA World Cup triumph in 2006. It was fitting they won the penalty shootout against the same opposition that defeated them in the Euro final six years earlier.
Fabio Cannavaro won the Ballon d'Or award in 2006, becoming only the third defender in history to win the prestigious award.
Defender - Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich and Germany)
Franz Beckenbauer is often credited with inventing a position on the pitch now known as the 'sweeper'. The German began his career in a decimated, post-war ruins of Munich, Germany.
As a teenager, Beckenbauer hoped to play for 1860 Munich - the team he supported. However, due to the opportunity of playing in a local under-14 tournament, he chose to sign and play for Bayern Munich instead.
Beckenbauer debuted against FC St. Pauli in 1964, helping Bayern win the Regionalliga Sud and earning promotion to the Bundesliga. The German went on to make 546 appearances for Bayern, scoring 58 goals and providing 75 assists.
He went on to win four Bundesliga crowns, four DFB Pokal Cups and three European Cups with the Bavarian giants. Beckenbauer also won the 1972 UEFA European Championship and the 1974 FIFA World Cup with West Germany.
His exploits on the pitch, combined with his elegant style of play, earned Franz Beckenbauer the nickname 'Der Kaiser' or 'The King'.
Beckenbauer won the Ballon d'Or award in 1972 for the first time, becoming the first defender in history to win the honour. He repeated the feat in 1976, winning his second Ballon d'Or award.
Defender - Matthias Sammer (Borussia Dortmund and Germany)
Matthias Sammer, the 1996 Ballon d'Or winner, began his career as a deep-lying midfielder for Dynamo Dresden in Germany. He then moved to Stuttgart for a few years. A largely unsuccessful year-long spell at Inter Milan in 1993 forced him to return home to Germany for a fresh start.
Sammer reinvented himself as a sweeper and a centre-back during his time at Borussia Dortmund. That was when he became key for his national team as well.
He was instrumental in BvB's successive Bundesliga and DFL Supercup doubles in 1995 and 1996. Sammer also captained the Dortmund side that won the UEFA Champions League in 1997, defeating Juventus in the final.
Sammer went on to make 153 appearances for Dortmund, scoring 23 goals and providing 24 assists, establishing himself as a club icon.
Matthias Sammer was also part of the Germany team that finished runner-ups in the 1992 Euros, before winning the tournament in 1996. His exploits with the national side led to Sammer being awarded the Ballon d'Or award in 1996.
His win was special, as the awardees chose him ahead of Alan Shearer and Ronaldo Nazario. Both were great players, but did not have as much of an impact as Sammer on the pitch. Non-tangible factors such as vocal instruction, organisational skills and leadership helped the German win the prestigious accolade.
Midfielder - Zinedine Zidane (Juventus and France)
Zinedine Zidane was born in Marseille, France, in 1972 to Algerian immigrants. Zizou began his career at Cannes, before moving to Bordeaux where he established himself as one of the best midfielders in Ligue 1.
In 1996, Zidane completed a move to Italian giants Juventus, where he won his first major honours at club level, including two Serie A titles. In 2001, he moved to Real Madrid in a then world-record fee of €77.5 million, a record that stood till 2009.
Zidane won the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid in 2001-02. He scored one of the most iconic and memorable winners in the final against Bayer Leverkusen.
Zizou was also highly successful with the French national team. He won the 1998 World Cup with France, defeating Brazil 3-0 in the final on home soil. Zidane scored twice in that match, helping his side win.
The Frenchman was awarded the Ballon d'Or award that year for his success with his national and club team. Zidane was also an integral part of the France squad that beat Italy in the Euro 2000 final. He retired after the 2006 World Cup final, in which the France captain was sent off for an ugly headbutt on Italy defender Marco Materazzi.
Zinedine Zidane went on to make a total of 631 appearances in club football, bagging 121 goals and 122 assists. Winning the Ballon d'Or award in 1998 further cemented his legacy as an all-time great.
Midfielder - Michel Platini (Juventus and France)
Michel Platini, like the previous player on the list, was one of the greatest midfielders in history to don the jerseys of Juventus and France. He was also the first player in history to win the Ballon d'Or award in three consecutive years, between 1983 and 1985. That was a feat many thought would remain unmatched.
Platini made his name as one of the most fluid, effortless and effective attacking midfielders in the game. He was a prolific goalscorer, hitting double figures for goals in seven seasons across his career.
The Frenchman won the Capocannoniere (Serie A top goalscorer for a season) award three consecutive times between 1983 and 85. That coincided with his Ballon d'Or wins.
Michel Platini won 12 trophies at club level, making him one of the most decorated French players of all time. He also won the 1984 European Championship with France, where he was the top scorer in the tournament with nine goals.
That set a record for the most goals in a single edition of the European Championships as well as overall. This summer, Cristiano Ronaldo broke Platini's overall record. However, Platini still holds the record for the most goals in a single European Championship.
The three-time Ballon d'Or winner scored 159 goals and dished out 24 assists in 313 career appearances. That makes Platini an easy pick in our hypothetical list.
Midfielder - Johan Cruyff (Ajax/Barcelona and Netherlands)
Johan Cruyff was one of the greatest players to grace a football pitch. After his playing career, Cruyff went on to become one of the greatest managers in football history too.
He changed the common perception that great players cannot become great coaches and vice versa. He believed that playing football was simple, but playing simple football was the hardest. One of his former sides, Ajax, embody Cruyff's philosophy in the present day:
Cruyff was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and went on to play for his local club Ajax for the first 11 years of his illustrious career. In Amsterdam, he won eight Eredivisie titles, five KNVB Cups and three consecutive European Cups between 1970 and 1973.
His goal contribution tally for the club is ridiculous, to say the least. Johan Cruyff played 288 games for Ajax, scoring 196 goals and assisting 192. That tallies up to 100 more goal contributions than appearances made, which is mind-boggling.
The Dutchman made an impact on the sport that lasted way beyond his playing years and even his years as manager. Cruyff 'invented' a feint move in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, earning the monicker 'Cruyff turn', and is a basic move taught by coaches worldwide in the present day.
He was also the cornerstone for the revolution of Dutch football in the 1960s and 1970s. Cryuff was the key proponent of the 'Total Football Philosophy' executed by former Dutch and Ajax coach Rinus Michels.
Johan Cruyff won three Ballon d'Or awards, one in 1971 with Ajax, and two with Barcelona in 1973 and 1974.
Attacking Midfielder - Lionel Messi (Barcelona/PSG and Argentina)
Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina. He established himself as the greatest player of all time during his 17-year stint at Barcelona.
The Argentine made 786 appearances for Barcelona, scoring a resounding 672 goals and dishing out 305 assists. He is Barcelona's all-time top scorer, and also their top scorer in La Liga and Champions League as well.
Messi won an astonishing ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey Cups and four Champions League titles during his time in Spain. He also won a record six Ballon d'Or awards while in Spain, including four in a row between 2009 and 12. His exploits helped Barcelona become one of the greatest club teams in the game.
The Argentina captain also holds many stunning records to his name, the most notable being his 2012 season. Messi scored 73 goals that campaign, surpassing Gerd Muller's long-standing tally of 67 goals in the 1972-73 season. Messi also broke Muller's record for most goals in a calendar year (85), adding six more and taking the tally to a resounding 91 for the year.
Towards the later part of his career, Messi has played in a central attacking midfield role - slightly deeper than what he played earlier. That was done to maximise his playmaking abilities, and we have done the same with him in our hypothetical XI.
Wide Right - Alfredo di Stefano (Real Madrid and Spain)
Alfredo di Stefano was an Argentine-Spanish player who played as a forward, and is widely remembered for his spell at Real Madrid. Di Stefano scored a scorching 216 goals in 282 appearances for Madrid, establishing himself as one of the best goalscorers in the game.
Di Stefano was Real Madrid's all-time top scorer, a record that was surpassed by Raul Gonzalez and then by Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Real Madrid player and coach is currently sixth in the La Liga all-time scoring list, and third in Real Madrid's list.
Very few may know this. But Di Stefano's move to Spain was one of the reasons why the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona got fiercer back in the day. He was due to sign for play for either club for two years apiece after moving from Colombia.
However, Barcelona were unimpressed, and sold their half-share to Madrid, who also agreed to pay Di Stefano 40% more than other players. What the player went on to do later for Los Blancos left a sour taste in the mouths of Barcelona fans.
Alfredo di Stefano won the Ballon d'Or award in 1957 and 1959. Those were the years when Real Madrid dominated football in Europe en route to becoming a mainstay in European competitions.
Wide Left - Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United/Real Madrid and Portugal)
Cristiano Ronaldo began his career at Sporting CP in Lisbon, where he made an instant impact with his pace and trickery. He was spotted by Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United scouts when the Portuguese side faced them in a friendly. Ferguson, urged by his own players, spent a large fee to bring the talented boy to the stage that eventually made Cristiano Ronaldo a superstar.
Ronaldo scored a stunning 42 goals and provided ten assists in 49 appearances in the 2007-08 season for United. The club won the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League that season as Ronaldo scored a record 31 league goals.
His exploits earned him the first Ballon d'Or award of his career in 2008. Following that season, he moved to Real Madrid for a then world-record £80 million fee. There, he scaled greater heights.
The Portugal captain scored a scintillating 450 goals and provided 190 assists in 438 games for Real Madrid. He won four Ballon d'Or awards with the Spanish giants in a nine-year spell. Ronaldo won four Champions League titles, three of them back-to-back between 2016 and 2018. He also won two La Liga titles and two Copa del Rey trophies with the club.
Cristiano Ronaldo is also Portugal's all-time top scorer with 115 goals in 184 appearances. He helped his nation win the Euros in 2016 as well as the UEFA Nations League in 2019. Ronaldo's ability to lead from the front is the main reason he makes our hypothetical XI with ease.
Striker - Ronaldo Nazario (Barcelona/Inter Milan/Real Madrid and Brazil)
Ronaldo, like his namesake, was one of the most gifted and prolific strikers to play the game of football. He had the dribbling ability, pace, power, a venomous strike and great balance that helped him rack up several goals for club and country.
Ronaldo began his career with Cruzeiro in Brazil, before being scouted by PSV Eindhoven and moving to the Netherlands in 1994. His tally of 42 goals in 46 appearances for PSV caught the eye of Barcelona, who signed the Brazilian in 1996.
He went on to score 47 goals and provided 17 assists in 49 appearances for Barcelona that season. The highlight of his goals was the way he rounded the keeper to slot into an empty net. His efforts won him the Ballon d'Or award in 1997. That made him the youngest Ballon d'Or winner in history.
Ronaldo also went on to play for Real Madrid later in his career, where he won his second Ballon d'Or award in 2002. That was motly owing to his eight goals and one assist en route to Brazil's fifth FIFA World Cup triumph.
His final career tally stands at 295 goals and 99 assists in 453 appearances across competitions. Ronaldo's sheer ability in and around the box to score or create opportunities for teammates made him irreplaceable for his teams and in our hypothetical XI as well.
Final formation
We have chosen a modified 3-4-3 for our hypothetical Greatest Ballon d'Or XI.
