Lionel Messi is so intertwined with the Ballon d'Or's history that he is synonymous with it.
Not only has he taken the gong home on a record eight occasions, but he has come second in its rankings five times and third once.
Since his first entry in 2007, he has been in the top three 14 out of a possible 16 times.
Through all those years, world football has seen outstanding talents denied honours in the shadow of his brilliance - and we're not just talking about Cristiano Ronaldo.
What would the Ballon d'Or have looked like without Messi?