Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and three other players who have won most individual awards

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Football is the most globally followed sport in the world and quite naturally, winning trophies and individual awards mean a lot to clubs and footballers. And with the fan craze for Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the excitement reaches next level.

Individual awards, such as the Ballon d'Or or the Golden Boot, recognise exceptional performances and highlight the talent, consistency and dedication of individual players. Hence, winning individual accolades serves as a major motivation for top players.

In this article, we will take a look at five footballers who have won the most individual trophies.

Zinedine Zidane: Five awards

Zinedine Zidane is regarded as one of the greatest and most elegant players of all time. The French legend cemented his status as a football icon as he won the FIFA World Cup with France in 1998 and several other major trophies at club level. He won the Ballon d'Or in 1998 and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003. Zidane also picked up the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball in 2006.

Marco van Basten: Five awards

Marco van Basten is a former Dutch international who played for Ajax and AC Milan as well as for the Netherlands national team. Regarded as one of the most technically gifted forwards of all time, Van Basten won three Ballon d'Ors and won the European Golden Shoe in the 1985-86 season and was also named the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1992.

Ronaldo Nazario: Seven awards

Ronaldo Nazario is a former Brazil international striker who played for top clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan and Inter Milan among others. He is ranked third among players with the most individual awards, with seven of them to his name. He won the FIFA World Player of the Year, Ballon d'Or and the European Golden Shoe (1996-97). He was named the FIFA World Player of the Year three times and won the Ballon d'Or twice. Ronaldo also won the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball in 1998.

Cristiano Ronaldo: 14 awards

Cristiano Ronaldo currently plies his trade for Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr and is still going all guns blazing at the age of 38. The Portuguese great has won a whopping five Ballon d'Or awards in his career. He has also picked up two FIFA Best Men's Player Awards and one FIFA World Player of the Year Award. In total, he has won 14 individual honours so far in his career.

Lionel Messi: 18 awards

Lionel Messi has now more or less settled the GOAT debate after leading Argentina to World Cup success in 2022. The Argentina international is also the player with most number of individual awards won over the course of his career. He has won a total of 18 awards so far including seven Ballon d'Ors two The Best FIFA Men's Player Awards, one FIFA World Player of the Year and six European Golden Shoes. He hs also won FIFA World Cup Golden Ball award twice.