The FIFA Ballon d'Or Award is the pinnacle for any player as far as individual award is concerned in the footballing world and some past and present players have won it more than once. The FIFA Ballon d'Or Award was first revealed in 1956 when English football legend Sir Stanley Matthews won it while playing for Blackpool in the old first division in England.
Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano won the award in the following year (1957) and two years later, he became the first player to win the award more than once. He won the awards while he was on the payroll of Real Madrid.
Since then, nine other players have won it more than once. The others include Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Ronaldo, Marco Van Basten and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Other recipients of the award on more than one occasion include Lionel Messi, Franz Beckenbauer, Johann Cryuff, Michel Platini and Kevin Keegan.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge played for both Bayern Munich and West Germany when he won the FIFA Ballon d'Or Award in successive years. He won it in 1980 and 1981. On his part, Brazilian striker Ronaldo also won the award twice in 1997 and 2002 just like what was obtainable with Kevin Keegan who won the FIFA Ballon d'Or Award two times in successive years 1978 and 1979. Ex-UEFA President Michel Platini won it three times in quick succession in 1983, 1984 and 1985 thus becoming the first player to achieve this feat.
Dutch football legend Johann Cryuff also won it three times in 1971, 1973 and 1974. His compatriot Marco Van Bastenalso won it three times in 1988, 1989 and 1992. Franz Beckenbauer is also known as Der Kaiser and he won the award two times in 1972 and 1976.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the FIFA Ballon d'Or Award five times in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017, while Lionel Messi is the first player to win the award four times in a row from 2009 to 2012. He also won it in 2015 and 2019 to make it a record six times.
