Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated the Ballon d'Or since 2008, with only one other player claiming the award in that period, but who were the winners of the Golden Ball before the two superstars came around?
Click through the gallery above to see the past 10 Ballon d'Or winners!
Last year, Luka Modric ended Messi and Ronaldo's 10-year reign of the famous prize, but the Croatian quickly fell from grace and did not even make the list of nominees for the 2019 edition.
Before Modric, Ronaldo won it four times in five years between 2013 and 2017, interrupted by Messi's fifth Ballon d'Or in 2015.
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The Argentine dominated the Golden Ball between 2009 and 2012, winning it four years in a row. Ronaldo was awarded his first in 2008, when the duopoly between arguably the two greatest players of the current generation started.
Inn 2007, Brazilian midfielder Kaka was the last player to lift the Ballon d'Or before the Ronaldo-Messi reign took off, while Fabio Cannavaro claimed it in 2006 after guiding Italy to the FIFA World Cup title.
Before Cannavaro, Ronaldinho won the Golden Ball in 2005, following Andriy Shevchenko and Pavel Nedved, who lifted it following their exploits in Serie A in 2004 and 2003, respectively.
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In 2002, Ronaldo Nazario won his second Ballon d'Or, with the other coming in 1997, while in 2001, Michael Owen, then on the books of Liverpool, was the last player from the Premier League to win the prestigious accolade.
Who do you think was the most undeserving Ballon d'Or winner? Have your say in the comments section below.
