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:
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!
