Cristiano Ronaldo remains the football star with the most Ballon d’Or Award nominations in the history of the round leather game.
Ronaldo, who has won 5 Ballon d’Or crowns, has been nominated more times for the individual prize ahead of many top stars.
The trio of Franz Beckenbauer, Karim Benzema, and Johan Cruyff were nominated 12 times for the Ballon d’Or Award.
Franz Beckenbauer
Late Beckenbauer, who played for clubs like Bayern Munich and New York Cosmos was a stellar defender during his playing days.
The German great won 2 Ballon d’Or awards (1972, 1976), whilst finishing as runner-up in two other editions (1974, 1975). He also came third place in 1966.
Franz Beckenbauer made 622 club career appearances, scoring 75 goals and providing 75 assists in all competitions.
Internationally, Beckenbauer earned 103 caps for Germany, scoring 14 goals and providing 10 assists.
Karim Benzema
French star Karim Benzema, who clinched the Ballon d’Or Award in 2022, has also been shortlisted for the individual honor 12 times.
The ex-Real Madrid and Olympique Lyon star currently plies his trade with Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad.
He has made 827 club appearances thus far in his career, scoring 434 goals and providing 200 assists in all competitions.
Internationally, Benzema made 97 appearances for France, scoring 37 goals and providing 20 assists.
Johan Cruyff
Cruyff, who is seen as a man who revolutionized football with the tiki-taka style of play, is also considered to be one of the greatest players of all time.
Late Johan Cruyff, who played for top sides like Ajax and Barcelona, was nominated for the Ballon d’Or 12 times, and he won it on three occasions (1971, 1973, and 1974) whilst also finishing 3rd in 1975.
He made 567 club career appearances, scoring 322 goals and providing 221 assists in all competitions.
Internationally, Cruyff made 48 appearances for the Netherlands, scoring 33 goals and providing 30 assists across all competitions.
Paolo Maldini
Meanwhile, Italian great Paolo Maldini was shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or Award 12 times, but he never won it on any occasion.
Maldini, the one-club career footballer only achieved a 3rd place finish in 1994 and 2003.
Paolo Maldini made 901 club appearances, scoring 33 goals and providing 43 assists in all competitions.
The retired defender also earned 126 caps for Italy, scoring 7 goals and providing 5 assists across all competitions.
Lionel Messi
The football icon is 2nd behind Cristiano Ronaldo, with 16 nominations to his name, but a staggering 8 Ballon d’Or awards.
Despite not being nominated as much as Ronaldo, he has won the most Ballon d’Or awards in history.
Lionel Messi, who currently plays for Inter Miami, and has previously represented Paris Saint Germain and Barcelona, has made 882 club appearances thus far in his career, scoring 729 goals and providing 354 assists in all competitions.
Internationally, Messi has been capped 187 times by Argentina, with the attacker scoring 109 goals and providing 58 assists.
Cristiano Ronaldo Has Received The Most Ballon d’Or Nominations
The 39-year-old, who keeps reaching immense heights leads the list, having been shortlisted for the prize on 18 separate occasions.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who has played for teams like Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Juventus, has claimed the Ballon d’Or award an impressive 5 times.
The Portuguese has made 1015 club appearances thus far in his career, scoring 761 goals and providing 239 assists across all competitions.
Internationally, Cristiano Ronaldo has made 212 appearances for Portugal, scoring 131 goals and providing 47 assists.
