5 retired players who won the Ballon d'Or, World Cup and Champions League

The most prestigious individual honor in a professional football player's career is the Ballon d'Or. This award is given to the world's best football player for a year.

But aside from taking home the Ballon d'Or, the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions League trophies are the two biggest football awards. It is uncommon for a player to win both the Ballon d'Or and a winner's medal in these contests.

Pele, Diego Maradona, and Cristiano Ronaldo have all failed to achieve this despite their greatness. Even these four players, who are considered by many to be the best in the history of the game, have not accomplished this amazing feat.

It is uncommon for players to achieve success at the individual, club, and international levels, but some have. The following is a list of five players who have won the Ballon d'Or, the Champions League, and the World Cup.

#5 Paolo Rossi

Italian football legend Paolo Rossi is one of the greatest footballers of all time. Only three players in history have won three FIFA World Cup awards in one sitting, including the forward.

Both the World Cup and the Ballon d'Or were awarded to him in 1982. In 1984, he took home the UEFA Champions League, which was then called the European Cup.

Rossi established himself in the second division and was one of the most successful Italian strikers of the 1980s. He scored six goals to become the top scorer and helped the Azzuri win the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

Even though he scored all of his goals in the knockout stages, he also took home the tournament's Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards. Juventus finished second two years prior, and Rossi helped the team win the European Cup in 1985.

The prolific striker played in the later years of his career for Hellas Verona and AC Milan. Rossi tragically lost his fight with lung cancer in 2020.

#4 Rivaldo

The R3 trio, which included the legendary Rivaldo of Brazil, terrorized defenses during the 2002 World Cup. In 2002 and 2003, respectively, the renowned forward won the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League. He had previously been the recipient of the 1999 Ballon d'Or.

Rivaldo was among his generation's most graceful and gifted football players. He had a wicked left foot and moved quite gracefully on the field despite his tall and slender frame.

His first two seasons, 1997–98 and 1998–99, saw him win the La Liga, which is where he made his name at FC Barcelona. In 1999, he received the Ballon d'Or for his efforts.

As Brazil won the World Cup in Korea/Japan, Rivaldo went on to score in five of the seven games played at the Mundial. In his lone season at AC Milan in 2003, he also won the UEFA Champions League.

Rivaldo played well into his 40s and had an amazing professional career. After playing for Mogi Mirim in his home country of Brazil, the gifted winger-turned-attacking midfielder retired in 2015.

#3 Kaka

Kaka is widely remembered as the last player to win the Ballon d'Or before the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly began. The Brazilian star enjoyed a terrific professional career in which he won the World Cup and the UEFA Champions League as well.

Kaka is regarded as one of the last pure attacking midfielders in football. The Brazilian was a joy to watch with the ball at his feet as he ran rings around opposition players easily.

He was part of the Seleçao squad that won the World Cup in 2002 despite being only 20 years old. He won the UEFA Champions League in his time as an AC Milan player in 2007 and won the Ballon d'Or in the same year.

Kaka was blessed with technical ability and brilliant vision on the football pitch. He mastered the art of playing between midfield and attack and made himself a force of nature. He retired from professional football in 2017 after time in the MLS with Orlando City.

#2 Zinedine Zidane

Any list of the greatest midfielders of all time is incomplete if the name of Zinedine Zidane is omitted. The Frenchman enjoyed a stellar career, winning the FIFA World Cup in 1998, the Ballon d'Or in the same year, and the UEFA Champions League in 2002.

Zidane is one of the greatest players to kick a ball in the 21st century and arguably in the history of the game. He was instrumental in the French national team winning their first-ever FIFA World Cup title on home soil in 1998.

He scored twice in the final of the competition and won the Ballon d'Or after his exploits with Juventus at club level. He also scored in the UEFA Champions League final in 2002 as Real Madrid defeated Bayer Leverkusen.

Zidane was one of the Galacticos of Real Madrid, having joined the club for a world record fee from Juventus. He retired from professional football in 2006 and has since gone into management successfully.

#1 Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho redefined how football was seen in the early 21st century. The Brazilian attacker was an entertainer on the pitch, always playing with a smile on his face. He won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the Ballon d'Or during his pomp.

Ronaldinho is easily one of the most technically gifted and skilled footballers to ever kick a football. He was not known for scoring goals, but his presence on the pitch was enough to create chaos for opponents.

He was part of the R3 trident that helped Brazil win the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan. He also won the Ballon d'Or in 2005 after impressing with FC Barcelona and helped the side win the Champions League the following year.

Ronaldinho enjoyed a hugely successful career and built his reputation as one of the greatest of all time. The Brazilian retired from professional football in 2018 after playing his final professional match three years earlier with Fluminense.