Yes. Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only 2 players in the running for this accolade. Messi, Maradona et al come close but aren't quite there.
People often downplay his feats. Here are a few facts that show why he is better than Messi.
- Ronaldo has either won or been the runner up in the Ballon d’Or awards 11 times against Messi’s count of 10.
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[list]- Ronaldo has won it 5 times and been the runner up 6 times. Lionel Messi has won it 5 times, and has been the runner up 5 times.
[/*]- Ronaldo has won it with two different teams and also been a runner up with two different teams.
[1][/*]- In the two years between 2007 and 2018 when a midfielder has won the Ballon d Or i.e. Kaka in 2007 and Luka Modric in 2018, Ronaldo was the runner up. This shows that if not the best player, he was still the best forward in those two years.
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