Ballon d'Or: Which club, nation and playing position have produced the most winners?
Monday 12 December 2016 10:01, UK
Barcelona have produced more Ballon d'Or winners than any other club in history - and could see one of their players win the coveted trophy for the 12th time on Monday.
Another victory for Lionel Messi - who already holds the most individual Ballon d'Or wins with five triumphs - or Luis Suarez, Neymar or Andres Iniesta would extend Barcelona's club record.
The other Barca players to claim the prize are Brazil duo Ronaldinho and Rivaldo, Hristo Stoichkov, Johan Cruyff (twice while with Barcelona) and 1960s midfielder Luis Suarez.
The wins for those five players - and one of Lionel Messi's - came before the award was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year prize in 2010.
The Ballon d'Or is once again a separate prize to the FIFA award this year and Cristiano Ronaldo is favourite to come out on top, having won Euro 2016 with Portugal and the Champions League with Real Madrid.
Three teams are tied second on the list: Juventus, whose eight wins include three in a row for Michel Platini between 1983 and 1985; AC Milan, who saw Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten share three titles from 1987; and Real Madrid, who have Ronaldo aiming for a hat-trick of Ballon d'Or trophies on Monday.
Wins by nation
When it comes to the nationalities of the Ballon d'Or winners, Germany and Netherlands lead the way with seven wins each - although England is a credible tied-third with five.
Germany have not had a winner since Matthias Sammer in 1996, but Gerd Muller, Franz Beckenbauer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (twice) and Lothar Matthaus have also lifted the trophy.
For Netherlands, Johan Cruyff, Van Basten (both three times each) Gullit have lifted the Ballon d'Or.
England's winners are: Stanley Matthews (winner of the first-ever prize in 1956), Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan (twice) and Michael Owen in 2001.
Wins by position
It may come as little surprise to find out that the Ballon d'Or prize has been dominated by attacking players throughout its history.
However, remarkably, just one goalkeeper and two defenders have ever been presented with the prize.
Goalkeeper Lev Yashin claimed the crown in 1963, while Franz Beckenbauer triumphed twice in the 1970s before Fabio Cannavaro was rewarded for captaining Italy to World Cup glory in 2006.
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