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 Name | Number Of Awards |
| Lionel Messi | 7 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 5 |
| Johan Cruyff | 6 |
| Michael Platini | 3 |
| Marco Van Basten | 3 |
| Alfredo Di Stefano | 3 |
| Franz Beckenbauer | 2 |
| Kevin Keegan | 2 |
| Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | 2 |
| Ronaldo (R9) | 2 |
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:
| Year | Player’s Name | Nationality | Football Club |
| 2022 | Karim Benzemais | France | Real Madrid |
| 2021 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Paris Saint-Germain F.C. |
| 2020 | not awarded | ||
| 2019 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona |
| 2018 | Luka Modric | Croatia | Real Madrid |
| 2017 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Real Madrid |
| 2016 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Real Madrid |
| 2015 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona |
| 2014 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Real Madrid |
| 2013 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Real Madrid |
| 2012 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona |
| 2011 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona |
| 2010 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona |
| 2009 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona |
| 2008 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Manchester United |
| 2007 | Kaká | Brazil | Milan |
| 2006 | Fabio Cannavaro | Italy | Real Madrid |
| 2005 | Ronaldinho | Brazil | Barcelona |
| 2004 | Andriy Shevchenko | Ukrain | Milan |
| 2003 | Pavel Nedvěd | Czechia | Juventus |
| 2002 | Ronaldo | Brazil | Real Madrid |
| 2001 | Michael Owen | England | Liverpool |
| 2000 | Luís Figo | Portugal | Real Madrid |
| 1999 | Rivaldo | Brazil | Barcelona |
| 1998 | Zinedine Zidane | France | Juventus |
| 1997 | Ronaldo | Brazil | Internazionale |
| 1996 | Matthias Sammer | Germany | Borussia Dortmund |
| 1995 | George Weah | Liberia | Milan |
| 1994 | Hristo Stoichkov | Bulgaria | Barcelona |
| 1993 | Roberto Baggio | Italy | Juventus |
| 1992 | Marco van Basten | Netherlands | Milan |
| 1991 | Jean-Pierre Papin | France | Marseille |
| 1990 | Lothar Matthäus | Germany | Internazionale |
| 1989 | Marco van Basten | Netherlands | Milan |
| 1988 | Marco van Basten | Netherlands | Milan |
| 1987 | Ruud Gullit | Netherlands | Milan |
| 1986 | Igor Belanov | Soviet Union | Dynamo Kyiv |
| 1985 | Michel Platini | France | Juventus |
| 1984 | Michel Platini | France | Juventus |
| 1983 | Michel Platini | France | Juventus |
| 1982 | Paolo Rossi | Italy | Juventus |
| 1981 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | West Germany | Bayern Munich |
| 1980 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | West Germany | Bayern Munich |
| 1979 | Kevin Keegan | England | Hamburg |
| 1978 | Kevin Keegan | England | Hamburg |
| 1977 | Allan Simonsen | Denmark | Borussia M”nchengladbach |
| 1976 | Franz Beckenbauer | West Germany | Bayern Munich |
| 1975 | Oleg Blokhin | Soviet Union | Dynamo Kyiv |
| 1974 | Johan Cruyff | Netherlands | Barcelona |
| 1973 | Johan Cruyff | Netherlands | Barcelona |
| 1972 | Franz Beckenbauer | West Germany | Bayern Munich |
| 1971 | Johan Cruyff | Netherlands | Ajax |
| 1970 | Gerd Müller | West Germany | Bayern Munich |
| 1969 | Gianni Rivera | Italy | Milan |
| 1968 | George Best | Northern Ireland | Manchester United |
| 1967 | Flórián Albert | Hungary | Ferencv rosi TC |
| 1966 | Bobby Charlton | England | Manchester United |
| 1965 | Eusébio | Portugal | Benfica |
| 1964 | Denis Law | Scotland | Manchester United |
| 1963 | Lev Yashin | Soviet Union | Dynamo Moscow |
| 1962 | Josef Masopust | Czechoslovakia | Dukla Prague |
| 1961 | Omar Sívori | Italy | Juventus |
| 1960 | Luis Suárez | Spain | Barcelona |
| 1959 | Alfredo Di Stéfano | Spain | Real Madrid |
| 1958 | Raymond Kopa | France | Real Madrid |
| 1957 | Alfredo Di Stéfano | Spain | Real Madrid |
| 1956 | Stanley Matthews | England | Blackpool |
Video from most recent Ballon d’Or awards:
Contents
Ballon d’Or Winners List From the 2008 Season to Present
Since the 2008 season, the Ballon d’Or has been heavily dominated by two players: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Here is the histry ballon dor ranking list of winners from the 2008 season onward:
- 2008: Cristiano Ronaldo
- 2009-2012: Lionel Messi
- 2013-2014: Cristiano Ronaldo
- 2015: Lionel Messi
- 2016-2017: Cristiano Ronaldo
- 2018: Luka Modric
- 2019: Lionel Messi
- 2020: Not Awarded
- 2021: Lionel Messi
- 2022: Karim Benzema
- 2023: Lionel Messi
- 2024: Rodri
Serie A Ballon d’Or Winners
Several Seria A balon dor winners have etched their names in history. Clubs like Juventus and AC Milan have produced numerous winners, including Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Kaka, and Pavel Nedved. Historically, Italian teams have strongly featured in the ballondor top 3 every year, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has the most Ballon d’Or winners?
Lionel Messi holds the record for the ballon d’or most awards, with eight total wins as of 2025. Cristiano Ronaldo is second on the list with five. Following them, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten have each won the award three times.
How many Ballon d’Ors does Ronaldo have 2025?
As of 2025, Cristiano Ronaldo has 5 Ballon d’Or awards. He won them in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017. He remains one of the greatest all ballon d’or winners.
How many Ballon d’Ors does Messi have 2025?
As of 2025, Lionel Messi has a record-breaking 8 Ballon d’Or awards, solidifying his position with the ballon d’or total awards record.
How many Ballon d’Ors has Ronaldinho won?
Many fans ask how many ballon d’or does ronaldinho have. Ronaldinho ballon d’or wins total exactly one. He took home the prestigious prize in 2005 after a spectacular season with Barcelona.
How many Ballon d’Ors does Kaka have?
Kaka won the Ballon d’Or once, in 2007, following an incredible Champions League-winning campaign with AC Milan.
How many Ballon d’Ors does Mbappe have?
Despite being one of the best players in the world, Kylian Mbappe currently has 0 Ballon d’Or awards, though he has frequently featured in the top rankings.
Who is the 2025 balador winner?
The ballandor winners 2025 list is typically announced late in the year. Fans are eagerly anticipating the next ceremony to see who will be crowned the best player of the season.
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!