Ballon d'Or is dumb. Awards are dumb in general.
What should exist instead, is Hall of Fame sort of thing. One player elected per year. Once you're inducted, that's it, you're in.
Don't get me wrong, Messi and Ronaldo are deservedly dominating Ballon d'Or. But it boggles the mind that people like Buffon or Iniesta will unavoidably retire without winning a highest honor that can be awarded by the football community. I mean, for all purposes, Buffon is as good of a goalkeeper as Messi is a forward. They're both genuine contenders for best player of all time in their respective position. But one wins year after year, and the other never even had an honest chance at winning in his entire career that spans over 2 decades.
Seriously, if you look at the list of players who never won Ballon, its mind blowing. It's not just defenders and goalkeepers, either. Raul. Del Piero. Cantona. Shearer. Henry. And that's just off the top off my head. Its ridiculous. All these guys are legitimate legends of the game.