Top 5 players who have won consecutive Ballon d'Or awards
The Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious individual accolade in the game of football and some of the greatest names in history have had the privilege of winning it.
The award was first handed out in 1956, with the 'wizard' Stanley Matthews having the honor of being named the inaugural winner.
French media outfit France Football have handed out the award since its inception, barring a six-year period between 2009 and 2015 when it was merged with the FIFA Best Player Award to become the FIFA Ballon d'Or.
Prior to 1995, the award was exclusive only to European players, which excluded some true greats like Pele, Diego Maradona and Garrincha from winning it.
George Weah became the first non-European to win the award in 1995 and the Liberian had a clean sweep, also winning the FIFA and CAF Player of the Year awards.
Throughout the Ballon d'Or's 65-year history, only 10 men have won the award on multiple occasions. Lionel Messi leads the way with six wins, while Cristiano Ronaldo trails just behind on five.
Of the 10 men to have won the Ballon d'Or on more than one occasion, seven had their wins come in consecutive years.
Here are the top five players who have won consecutive Ballons d'Or awards.
Honorable mentions: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Kevin Keegan
#5 Marco Van Basten (1988, 1989)
Marco Van Basten was by far the best player in the world at his peak and was the focal point of the great Netherlands and AC Milan teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The former Netherlands international terrorized defenses at will with the Rossoneri and guided AC Milan to consecutive European Cup wins in 1989 and 1990.
This iteration of Milan had greats like Frank Rijkaard, Carlo Ancelotti, Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi also present but Van Basten was the talisman of the team.
They were managed by the legendary Ariggo Sacchi and are widely regarded as one of the best teams in the history of European club football.
Marco Van Basten was also successful on the international stage with the Netherlands and guided his nation to their sole European Championship triumph in 1988.
His technique was on full display with his goal in the final and that unbelievable volley from an acute angle is considered one of the greatest goals ever scored.
This saw him named the Ballon d'Or winner in 1988, an award he retained a year later as Milan lifted the first of consecutive European Cups. Another Ballon d'Or win in 1992 followed after yet another European Cup triumph that saw Milan finish the entire league campaign unbeaten.
Sadly, serious injuries forced Marco Van Basten into an early retirement at the tender age of 28 years, leaving an unanswered question of how much more he could have achieved.
Nevertheless, Marco Van Basten still wrote his names into the record books and reigned supreme at the height of his powers.
#4 Michel Platini (1983, 1984, 1985)
Michel Platini was the star of a Juventus side that was almost unplayable in the early 1980s and he also enjoyed success on the international stage with France.
Despite playing as a midfielder, Platini was deadly in front of goal and held several goalscoring records upon his retirement.
Platini began his career in the French league with Nancy and Saint-Etienne. His impressive display caught the attention of European giants Juventus, who sanctioned his purchase in 1882.
Things began slowly for Platini in Turin but a turnaround in personal performance soon made him a fan favorite. He finished as the top scorer in the league for three consecutive seasons, which was no mean feat considering the quality of Serie A defense at that point.
He won everything winnable in the colors of Juventus and also captained his nation to glory at the European Championship on home soil in 1984.
Platini's efforts on the field saw him become the first player to win three Ballon d'Ors, with all three coming in consecutive years between 1982 and 1984.
He enjoyed a high-profile and colorful career in football administration post-retirement before being disgraced out of office over corruption allegations.
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