I think that FIFA have bought the rights on ballon d'or trophy from france football just because they were jealousy that nobody is giving a fuck about their 'fifa player of the year' award, nothing more, nothing less IMO. Now it's joke award.
In 2010 best 3 players were Sneijder, Forlan and Iniesta or probably Xavi imo but first 2 were not even included in the final top 3
Forlan 2010 - EU league winner, runner-up Copa Del Rey, bronzeware FIFA world cup
Sneijder 2010 - Serie A winner, Coppa di Italia winner, CL winner, runner-up FIFA World Cup
Xavi/Iniesta 2010 - La Liga winners, FIFA Club World Cup winner, FIFA World Cup winners
Messi 2010 - La Liga winner, FIFA Club World cup winner
and of course fucking midget won it
historically:
WC 2006
Winner - Italy
Ballon d'Or - Cannavaro, 2nd place - Buffon, 3rd place - Henry
WC 2002
Winner - Brazil
Ballon d'Or - Ronaldo, 2nd place - Roberto Carlos, 3rd place - Kahn
WC 1998
Winner - France
Ballon d'Or - Zidane, 2nd place - Suker, 3rd place - Ronaldo
WC 1994
Winner - Brazil
Ballon d'Or - Stoichkov, 2nd place - Baggio, 3rd place - Maldini
Stoichkov was voted as best european player in 1994, won la liga, finished 2nd in CL, became top-scorer at the World Cup, while Baggio struggled with Juve, but if only Italy has won that cup it all could be otherwise....plus Baggio has won it in 1993 already. And of course some of Brazilians had a chance to win if the journalists had the opportunity to vote for them.
WC 1990
Winner - Germany
Ballon d'Or - Mattheus, 2nd place - Schillaci, 3rd place - Brehme
No reason to look deeper 'cause before 1995 year journalists could only vote for European players at European clubs and guys like Maradona had no chance to win it

today it's looking funny as shit that in 1986 award goes to Belanov instead of Maradona and to Kevin Keegan in 1978 instead of Mario Kempes for example

As for FIFA Ballon d'or, since it already became a joke award, i think that UEFA Best Player in Europe Award would become more prestigious in future, they just have to turn it to golden award probably
2011 - 1st - Messi, 2nd - Xavi, 3rd - Ronaldo, 4th Iniesta, 5th Falcao
2012 - 1st - Iniesta, 2nd/3rd Ronaldo/Messi, 4th - Pirlo, 5th Xavi
I agree with the past 2 years results, if only Italy won the final of EURO

@napoleonic