Table of Contents
- The Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious individual award and is given to the best male player in the world every year
- The award has been presented to some of the most prominent names in the football world over the years, including Gerd Muller, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo Nazario
- Manchester City’s Rodri joined the elite list of Ballon d’Or winners as he claimed the prestigious award a week ago in Paris, France
From Stanley Matthews to Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten, this article brings you all Ballon d’Or winners in football history.
The Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious individual award and is given to the best male player in the world every year, except 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception in 1956, it is usually voted by a panel of football journalists representing the top 100 nations in the FIFA Men’s Rankings. The award has been presented to some of the most prominent names in the football world over the years, and legends such as Gerd Muller, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo Nazario have all been crowned winners.
Zinedine Zidane won the Ballon d’Or in 1998. Photo/ History Of Soccer.
Stanley Mathews of England was the first player to ever receive the award. And with that short introduction , let’s take a look at all Ballon d’Or winners since French news magazine France Football created the award.
All Ballon d’Or Winners
Without wasting much time let’s jump straight to the exact reason why you’re here. Below are all the Ballon d’Or winners and the years they were crowned champions:
2024 – Rodri (Spain)
2023 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2022 – Karim Benzema (France)
2021 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2020 – The Ballon d’Or was not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2018 – Luka Modric (Croatia)
2017 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2016 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2015 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2014 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2013 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2012 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2011 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2010 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2009 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2008 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2007 – Kaka
2006 – Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
2005 – Ronaldinho (Brazil)
2004 – Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)
2003 – Pavel Nedvěd (Czechia)
2002 – Ronaldo (Brazil)
2001 – Michael Owen (England)
2000 – Luís Figo (Portugal)
1999 – Rivaldo (Brazil)
1998 – Zinedine Zidane (France)
1997 – Ronaldo (Brazil)
1996 – Matthias Sammer (Germany)
1995 – George Weah (Liberia)
1994 – Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
1993 – Roberto Baggio (Italy)
1992 – Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1991 – Jean-Pierre Papin (France)
1990 – Lothar Matthäus (Germany)
1989 – Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1988 – Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1987 – Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)
1986 – Igor Belanov (Soviet Union)
1985 – Michel Platini (France)
1984 – Michel Platini (France)
1983 – Michel Platini (France)
1982 – Paolo Rossi (Italy)
1981 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1980 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1979 – Kevin Keegan (England)
1978 – Kevin Keegan (England)
1977 – Allan Simonsen (Denmark)
1976 – Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
1975 – Oleg Blokhin (Soviet Union)
1974 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1973 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1972 – Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
1971 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1970 – Gerd Müller (West Germany)
1969 – Gianni Rivera (Italy)
1968 – George Best (Northern Ireland)
1967 – Flórián Albert (Hungary)
1966 – Bobby Charlton (England)
1965 – Eusébio (Portugal)
1964 – Denis Law (Scotland)
1963 – Lev Yashin (Soviet Union)
1962 – Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia)
1961 – Omar Sívori (Italy)
1960 – Luis Suárez (Spain)
1959 – Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina)
1958 – Raymond Kopa (France)
1957 – Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina)
1956 – Stanley Matthews (England)
Who Has Won The Most Ballon d’Or Awards?
Lionel Messi has won eight Ballon d’Or awards. Photo/ Scroll.in.
Of course, Lionel Messi tops the list of players with most Ballon d’Or wins in football. The Argentine playmaker, currently enjoying his spell at Inter Miami, has claimed a total of eight Ballon d’Or awards.
After losing to former Manchester United man Cristiano Ronaldo in the rankings in 2008, Messi claimed his first Golden Ball the following year. The Barcelona great would then go on to win the prestigious individual award three consecutive times, moving his tally to four, before his iconic rivalry with Ronaldo started. He lost the Ballon d’Or to Ronaldo in 2013 and 2014 before winning it for the fifth time in 2015.
Messi had to wait until 2019 before picking his sixth award and further increased his tally in 2021 and 2023. Messi and Ronaldo, who are arguably the greatest players the world has ever seen, achieved their success during their days in Spain where they played for FC Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively. Whereas Messi boasts eight Ballon d’Or awards, Ronaldo managed five.
Behind Messi and Ronaldo are Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Michel Platini who have been crowned winners three times each.
Who Won Ballon d’Or 2024?
Manchester City’s Rodri joined the elite list of Ballon d’Or winners as he claimed the prestigious award a week ago in Paris, France. The Spain international saw off competition from Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, who finished second and third respectively, in the race for the award.
Rodri is the first player in Manchester City’s history to win the award. He is also the first player plying his trade in the Premier League to collect the Golden Ball since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.
The 28-year-old’s success comes after a fantastic season with City in which he played a major role as the Cytizens won a fourth consecutive Premier League title. Rodri, who is the first Spanish Ballon d’Or winner since the turn of the century, helped Spain with the UEFA European Championship in July.
