With the field for the 2014 Ballon d'Or being whittled down to three this evening we'll be that much closer to knowing the latest addition to an illustrious list of some of the game's greatest players.
And should Cristiano Ronaldo end up holding the trophy as is widely expected, he will enter into an even more select group to have won the award on three occasions, joining Lionel Messi, Marco van Basten, Michel Platini and Johan Cruyff.
And what better reason do we need to run down some of SportsJOE's favourite players of the year...
Alfredo di Stefano (1957, 1959)
Founded in 1956, the Ballon d'Or wasn't around for the first half of Di Stefano's glittering career or the Argentine forward would surely have at least matched compatriot Messi's tally of four wins. Beaten to the prize by England's Stanley Matthews in '56, Di Stefano won the following year as he scored 43 in 43 games to lead Real Madrid to a La Liga and European Cup double. He won for a second time two years later as Madrid again were crowned the best side in Europe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCAlqBamBjs
Lev Yashin (1963)
'The joy of seeing Yuri Gagarin flying in space is only superseded by the joy of a good penalty save.' And if anyone should have known, it was Yashin, who is believed to have saved more than 150 spot-kicks in a career that saw The Black Spider become the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvas6GAu1n8
George Best (1968)
In the year of Manchester United's first European Cup success, the Ballon d'Or vote was a straight fight between 1966 winner Bobby Charlton and a Best at the height of his powers. With 32 goals in 53 games, the Irishman edged the verdict to become the only man from these shores to win the award.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp7cTlvHgUQ
Johan Cruyff (1971, 1973, 1974)
In 1974, the Dutch master became the first player to win three times, as well as the first to put together back-to-back Ballon d'Or seasons. Along with the Brazilian Ronaldo and Cristiano, Cruyff is one of three players to claim the title at two different clubs, winning twice at Ajax during the Amsterdam club's run of three European Cups and then in 1974 at Barcelona, also the year he unleashed the Cruyff turn on an unsuspecting World Cup audience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phShXKxfKo0
Michel Platini (1983, 1984, 1985)
Before being mired in the murky world of football politics, Platini was the first footballer to be named European Player of the Year three times in a row. The original goalscoring midfielder, Platini joined Juventus from Saint Etienne in 1982, winning the Serie A title in 1984 and the European Cup the following year, scoring 82 times in 139 league games over the three years. His finest hour, though, came in his national jersey, captaining France to the 1984 European Championship and scoring nine goals, still a tournament record.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdqMrgRi9dA
George Weah (1995)
Prior to 1995, the Ballon d'Or was only open to European footballers at European clubs (hence no wins for the likes of Pele or Diego Maradona), but a change in the rules saw Liberia's George Weah break the seal on European hegemony. Later named African Player of the Century, the striker joined AC Milan from PSG in the summer of 1995 and went on to win two Serie A titles and score this unforgettable goal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXzBqL-kT08
Michael Owen (2001)
The last English and only Liverpool player to win the award, Owen was rewarded for a year in which his electrifying pace terrified defences at home and abroad. The striker formed a lethal partnership with Robbie Fowler and netted 28 times as Liverpool won the unique treble of Uefa Cup, League Cup and FA Cup, where he memorably did this in the final:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwE3h0iMjY8
Lionel Messi (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
Having merged with the Fifa Player of the Year in 2010, Messi won the first three editions of the award's new incarnation to become the first four-time Ballon d'Or winner. The Barcelona wizard continues to set
scoring records but has seen his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo usurp his crown in recent seasons, however, in this four-year period Messi was untouchable, scoring 211 in 219, including an astounding 73 goals in 2011-2012 and inspiring the Catalans to three Spanish titles and two Champions League wins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fV1S7V6PuU
