@savageupdatesThe spread of Ballon d'Or nominations across football history is actually wild when you look at the top tier. Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record with 18 Ballon d'Or nominations, while Lionel Messi follows with 17 Ballon d'Or nominations. Paolo Maldini is ranked third with 13 nominations. Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, and Karim Benzema each received 12 nominations. Gianluigi Buffon and Zlatan Ibrahimović each have 11 nominations. Michel Platini, Eusébio, Kaká, and Xavi each were nominated 10 times. Andriy Shevchenko, Raúl, and George Best each received 9 nominations. The data covers the top 15 most nominated players in football history. The source of the statistics is Ballon d'Or nomination history.

@savageupdatesThe spread of Ballon d'Or nominations across football history is actually wild when you look at the top tier. Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record with 18 Ballon d'Or nominations, while Lionel Messi follows with 17 Ballon d'Or nominations. Paolo Maldini is ranked third with 13 nominations. Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, and Karim Benzema each received 12 nominations. Gianluigi Buffon and Zlatan Ibrahimović each have 11 nominations. Michel Platini, Eusébio, Kaká, and Xavi each were nominated 10 times. Andriy Shevchenko, Raúl, and George Best each received 9 nominations. The data covers the top 15 most nominated players in football history. The source of the statistics is Ballon d'Or nomination history.