Quiz: Name the Ballon d’Or Top Threes Without Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo traded Ballon d’Or awards back and forth over the course of a decade, solidifying their places in the history books as the two greatest players to ever lace up a pair of boots. But what about those that finished just behind them in the rankings for the most prestigious individual award in the sport? Think you’re able to identify the top finishers apart Messi and Ronaldo from 2007 to 2025? See if you can name them all within the allotted time.

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So, how did you do? It’s hard to imagine the award without Messi and Ronaldo, such has been their dominance of the sport for the best part of two decades. If you enjoyed this quiz and fancy another challenge, why don’t you have a crack at one of the quizzes below?

More Quizzes From SI FC

• 8 Minute Quiz: Name Every Winner of the Ballon d’Or-It’s Harder Than You Think

• 3 Minute Quiz: Name Every Premier League Winning Team, Including Two Surprise Champions

• 1 Minute Quiz: Name the Premier League Golden Boot Winners of the 2020s

The Ballon d’Or Winners That Never Were

Xavi: For three years straight, Xavi was forced to settle for third place in the Ballon d’Or rankings, unable to displace Ronaldo or Messi in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The ever-humble Barcelona legend eventually admitted he was not better than either of the all-time greats, but he still deserved the “Ballon de Bronze” for being one of the best orchestrators in soccer history.

Andrés Iniesta: Where there’s Xavi, there’s always Iniesta. The Spaniard was the only player during the era of Messi and Ronaldo’s dominance to snag a second-place finish, which came in 2010 after he scored the World Cup-winning goal for Spain. A true magician, Iniesta floated through space and had the vision-and trophy cabinet-most players can only dream of.

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Franck Ribéry: Helping Bayern Munich win the Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in 2013 wasn’t enough for Ribéry to claim the Ballon d’Or; in fact, it wasn’t even enough to finish as the runner-up. The stranglehold Ronaldo and Messi had on the award robbed the Frenchman from hoisting the prize many still are convinced he should have won.

Neymar: Still the most expensive transfer in history, Neymar bookended the formidable “MSN” attacking trio at Barcelona, helping the club conquer Spain and Europe with his creativity, dribbling and clinical right foot. He also led Brazil for over a decade, becoming the Seleção’s all-time leading goalscorer. His efforts for both club and country were only ever enough to earn two third-place finishes, though.

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This story was originally published September 23, 2026 at 11:00 AM.