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Ballon d’Or: Winners By Year [Complete List Updated [year]]

The Ballon D’or award is the most prestigious accolade in the world across all sports. It is given to the best player of the year, and every player dreams of winning it one day.

However, only a few players get the chance to win it each year. Here is a breakdown of all the Ballon d’Or winners, from the first award in 1956 to the most recent one.

Before going through each year’s winner, here are the players with the most Ballon d’Or awards:

Winner/Player NameNumber Of Awards
Lionel Messi7
Cristiano Ronaldo5
Johan Cruyff6
Michael Platini3
Marco Van Basten3
Alfredo Di Stefano3
Franz Beckenbauer2
Kevin Keegan2
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge2
Ronaldo (R9)2
Table n.1: Who has the most Ballon d’Or Awards

Here’s a list of all the Ballon d’Or winners, starting with the very first one in 1956. This award is given to the best player in the world, as voted by soccer journalists. So far, only 29 different players have won it:

YearPlayer’s NameNationalityFootball Club
2022Karim BenzemaisFranceReal Madrid
2021Lionel MessiArgentinaParis Saint-Germain F.C.
2020not awarded
2019Lionel MessiArgentinaBarcelona
2018Luka ModricCroatiaReal Madrid
2017Cristiano RonaldoPortugalReal Madrid
2016Cristiano RonaldoPortugalReal Madrid
2015Lionel MessiArgentinaBarcelona
2014Cristiano RonaldoPortugalReal Madrid
2013Cristiano RonaldoPortugalReal Madrid
2012Lionel MessiArgentinaBarcelona
2011Lionel MessiArgentinaBarcelona
2010Lionel MessiArgentinaBarcelona
2009Lionel MessiArgentinaBarcelona
2008Cristiano RonaldoPortugalManchester United
2007Kaká BrazilMilan
2006Fabio CannavaroItalyReal Madrid
2005RonaldinhoBrazilBarcelona
2004Andriy ShevchenkoUkrainMilan
2003Pavel NedvědCzechiaJuventus
2002RonaldoBrazilReal Madrid
2001Michael OwenEnglandLiverpool
2000Luís FigoPortugalReal Madrid
1999RivaldoBrazilBarcelona
1998Zinedine ZidaneFranceJuventus
1997RonaldoBrazilInternazionale
1996Matthias SammerGermanyBorussia Dortmund
1995George WeahLiberiaMilan
1994Hristo StoichkovBulgariaBarcelona
1993Roberto BaggioItalyJuventus
1992Marco van BastenNetherlandsMilan
1991Jean-Pierre PapinFranceMarseille
1990Lothar MatthäusGermanyInternazionale
1989Marco van BastenNetherlandsMilan
1988Marco van BastenNetherlandsMilan
1987Ruud GullitNetherlandsMilan
1986Igor BelanovSoviet UnionDynamo Kyiv
1985Michel PlatiniFranceJuventus
1984Michel PlatiniFranceJuventus
1983Michel PlatiniFranceJuventus
1982Paolo RossiItalyJuventus
1981Karl-Heinz RummeniggeWest GermanyBayern Munich
1980Karl-Heinz RummeniggeWest GermanyBayern Munich
1979Kevin KeeganEnglandHamburg
1978Kevin KeeganEnglandHamburg
1977Allan SimonsenDenmarkBorussia M”nchengladbach
1976Franz BeckenbauerWest GermanyBayern Munich
1975Oleg BlokhinSoviet UnionDynamo Kyiv
1974Johan CruyffNetherlandsBarcelona
1973Johan CruyffNetherlandsBarcelona
1972Franz BeckenbauerWest GermanyBayern Munich
1971Johan CruyffNetherlandsAjax
1970Gerd MüllerWest GermanyBayern Munich
1969Gianni RiveraItalyMilan
1968George BestNorthern IrelandManchester United
1967Flórián AlbertHungaryFerencv rosi TC
1966Bobby CharltonEnglandManchester United
1965EusébioPortugalBenfica
1964Denis LawScotlandManchester United
1963Lev YashinSoviet UnionDynamo Moscow
1962Josef MasopustCzechoslovakiaDukla Prague
1961Omar SívoriItalyJuventus
1960Luis SuárezSpainBarcelona
1959Alfredo Di StéfanoSpainReal Madrid
1958Raymond KopaFranceReal Madrid
1957Alfredo Di StéfanoSpainReal Madrid
1956Stanley MatthewsEnglandBlackpool

Video from most recent Ballon d’Or awards:

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has the most Ballon d’Or?

Lionel Messi currently holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or awards, with seven total. The Argentinian superstar has been a dominant force in world soccer for over a decade and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Cristiano Ronaldo is second on the list with five Ballon d’Or awards. The Portuguese star has also had an incredible career, and he, too, shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Neymar, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi have all won the award three times each.

Who is nominated for the 2022 Ballon d Or?

Currently, there is no definitive answer as to who will be nominated for the 2022 Ballon d’Or. However, some of the leading contenders include Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Cristiano Ronaldo. All three players have had phenomenal careers thus far and show no signs of slowing down any time soon. Only time will tell who ultimately takes home the prestigious award in 2022.

Who is the winner of Ballon d Or 2022?

Again, there is no definitive answer as to who the winner of the 2022 Ballon d’Or will be. However, some of the leading contenders include Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Cristiano Ronaldo. All three players have had phenomenal careers thus far and show no signs of slowing down any time soon. Only time will tell who ultimately takes home the prestigious award in 2022.

Who has won the most Ballon d Or?

Lionel Messi currently holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or awards, with six total. The Argentinian superstar has been a dominant force in world soccer for over a decade and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Cristiano Ronaldo is second on the list with five Ballon d’Or awards. The Portuguese star has also had an incredible career, and he, too, shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Neymar, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi have all won the award three times each.

Who are the top 3 Ballon d’Or 2022?

The top three contenders for the 2022 Ballon d’Or are currently Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Cristiano Ronaldo. All three players have had phenomenal careers thus far and show no signs of slowing down any time soon. Only time will tell who ultimately takes home the prestigious award in 2022.

How many ballon d’Or does Messi have?

Lionel Messi currently holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or awards, with seven total. The Argentinian superstar has been a dominant force in world soccer for over a decade and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Conclusion

It’s fitting that two players who have profoundly impacted their respective clubs and national teams should share the Ballon d’Or award for 2019. Lionel Messi and Virgil van Dijk are truly deserving winners, and it will be exciting to see what they do in 2023 and beyond. Thanks for reading!

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