Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff, and Marco van Basten each won the Ballon d'Or three times consecutively (Platini: 1983-85, Cruyff: 1971-73, van Basten: 1988-90). Frank Rijkaard, while a great player, never won the Ballon d'Or three times - he won it once in 1988, making him the correct answer.