Lionel Messi had ten years in a row between 2008 and 2017 that he was named the world's best player or second best player. But there has been no victory since 2015 and last year he did not even become top-3 when Luka Modric took home the prize before Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann.
But now he is back as the winner of the golden ball, and thus became the one who won the prize most times through the ages.