Who is the best Ballon d'Or winner of the 21st century?

Era-defining icons, one-season wonders and a couple of winners people still argue about twenty years later. Who wore the crown best?

1. 1
   Lionel Messi

   Eight Ballon d'Or wins between 2009 and 2023, the most in the award's history.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Ronaldinho

   The 2005 winner whose Barcelona peak made joy itself look like a tactic.
   710pts
3. 3
   Pavel Nedvěd

   The 2003 winner, Juventus's tireless Czech playmaker.
   624pts
4. 4
   Fabio Cannavaro

   The 2006 winner, the only defender to take the award this century.
   560pts
5. 5
   Cristiano Ronaldo

   Five-time winner between 2008 and 2017 across spells at Manchester United and Real Madrid.
   560pts
6. 6
   Ronaldo Nazário

   The 2002 winner, crowned after his redemption World Cup with Brazil.
   485pts
7. 7
   Michael Owen

   The 2001 winner, Liverpool's boy-wonder striker and the pick that still divides fans.
   397pts
8. 8
   Luís Figo

   The 2000 winner, fresh off the century's most controversial transfer.
   291pts
9. 9
   Kaká

   The 2007 winner, the last before the Messi–Ronaldo era began.
   291pts
10. 10
    Andriy Shevchenko

    The 2004 winner, AC Milan's lethal Ukrainian striker.
    291pts
11. 11
    Luka Modrić

    The 2018 winner who broke the decade-long Messi–Ronaldo duopoly after a World Cup final run.
    0pts
12. 12
    Rodri

    The 2024 winner, Manchester City's metronome and now a World Cup Golden Ball holder.
    0pts
13. 13
    Karim Benzema

    The 2022 winner after carrying Real Madrid to a Champions League with a historic scoring run.
    0pts
14. 14
    Ousmane Dembélé

    The 2025 winner, rewarded for a 35-goal season in which he led Paris Saint-Germain to their first Champions League title as part of a treble.

Comments 3