Which players have received most nominations for Ballon d'Or?

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo holds the all-time record for Ballon d'Or with 18 nominations. He is followed by former Argentina skipper Lionel Messi, who has earned his 17th nomination this year. Former Italy defender Paolo Maldini received 13 nominations, while ex-Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff, ex-Germany defender Franz Beckenbauer and ex-France striker Karim Benzema got 12 nominations each.