Who would have won the Ballon d'Or if Messi didn't exist?

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? Mail Sport explores the figures who came close to higher honours but were blocked by La Pulga.

Cristiano Ronaldo - 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2015

Cristiano Ronaldo would have nine Ballon d'Ors were it not for his great rival.

In the years when he came second to Messi, CR7 scored a whopping 200 goals, including a career-best 61 in 2014/15.

Those seasons saw him win big club honours, as well - a Premier League title with Manchester United in 2008/09 and a La Liga title with Real Madrid in 2011/12.

The Champions League is often the kingmaker if there's not an international tournament on.

Ronaldo won three of his five Ballon d'Ors on the back of successful Champions League campaigns, while in three of the four years he came second, Messi won Europe's most wanted club trophy.

Andres Iniesta - 2010

On paper, Andres Iniesta's 2009/10 season was statistically unremarkable. Five goals and one assist while injuries brought his club campaign to an early finish.

But those stats don't get anywhere near to showing the majesty of Iniesta, whose range of passing and work ethic stood him alongside Xavi as one of the world's best midfielders.

Barcelona won La Liga with 99 points and that summer of 2010 is a special one