Ballon d’Or Winners: Full List From 1956 to 2025, Messi Leads With Eight

The Ballon d’Or remains one of football’s most prestigious individual awards, with the honour recognising outstanding performances and achievements by the world’s best players.

The award was first presented in 1956, when England and Blackpool legend Stanley Matthews became its inaugural winner.

Since then, the Ballon d’Or has produced a remarkable list of winners, including Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Ronaldo Nazário, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The award was originally restricted to European players before its eligibility rules were expanded in 1995 to include players of any nationality playing for European clubs. That change paved the way for Liberia legend George Weah to become the first African and first non-European winner in 1995.

In 2007, eligibility was expanded globally, allowing players competing outside Europe to be considered.

The Ballon d’Or also underwent a major change between 2010 and 2015 when France Football and FIFA merged the award with FIFA’s World Player of the Year prize. During that period, it was known as the FIFA Ballon d’Or.

The partnership ended after the 2015 edition, with France Football restoring the original Ballon d’Or name from 2016.

The women’s Ballon d’Or, known as the Ballon d’Or Féminin, was introduced in 2018, with Norway’s Ada Hegerbergbecoming the inaugural winner.

Another major change came in 2022 when organisers moved from a calendar-year assessment to a season-based evaluation period.

Who votes for the Ballon d’Or?

The winners are selected through a journalists’ voting system rather than a public vote.

For the men’s award, one specialist journalist from each of the 100 highest-ranked countries in the FIFA men’s world ranking takes part in the voting process. The women’s award involves journalists from the top 50 countries in the FIFA women’s ranking.

Voters rank their preferred candidates, with points awarded according to their positions on each ballot.

Individual performances and a player’s influence are central to the assessment, while team achievements, trophies, sporting conduct and fair play are also considered.

Messi remains the record holder

Lionel Messi is the most successful player in Ballon d’Or history, having won the award eight times.

Messi claimed his first Ballon d’Or in 2009 before winning again in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.

Cristiano Ronaldo follows with five victories, while Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten have each won the award three times.

Platini remains the only player to win the men’s award in three consecutive years, doing so from 1983 to 1985.

The award was not presented in 2020 because of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The most recent winner is Ousmane Dembélé, who claimed the 2025 Ballon d’Or after an outstanding campaign with Paris Saint-Germain.

Full list of Ballon d’Or winners

1956: Stanley Matthews, England, Blackpool
1957: Alfredo Di Stéfano, Spain, Real Madrid
1958: Raymond Kopa, France, Real Madrid
1959: Alfredo Di Stéfano, Spain, Real Madrid
1960: Luis Suárez, Spain, Barcelona
1961: Omar Sívori, Italy, Juventus
1962: Josef Masopust, Czechoslovakia, Dukla Praha
1963: Lev Yashin, Soviet Union, Dynamo Moscow
1964: Denis Law, Scotland, Manchester United
1965: Eusébio, Portugal, Benfica
1966: Bobby Charlton, England, Manchester United
1967: Flórián Albert, Hungary, Ferencváros
1968: George Best, Northern Ireland, Manchester United
1969: Gianni Rivera, Italy, AC Milan
1970: Gerd Müller, West Germany, Bayern Munich
1971: Johan Cruyff, Netherlands, Ajax
1972: Franz Beckenbauer, West Germany, Bayern Munich
1973: Johan Cruyff, Netherlands, Barcelona
1974: Johan Cruyff, Netherlands, Barcelona
1975: Oleh Blokhin, Soviet Union, Dynamo Kyiv
1976: Franz Beckenbauer, West Germany, Bayern Munich
1977: Allan Simonsen, Denmark, Borussia Mönchengladbach
1978: Kevin Keegan, England, Hamburg
1979: Kevin Keegan, England, Hamburg
1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, West Germany, Bayern Munich
1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, West Germany, Bayern Munich
1982: Paolo Rossi, Italy, Juventus
1983: Michel Platini, France, Juventus
1984: Michel Platini, France, Juventus
1985: Michel Platini, France, Juventus
1986: Ihor Belanov, Soviet Union, Dynamo Kyiv
1987: Ruud Gullit, Netherlands, AC Milan
1988: Marco van Basten, Netherlands, AC Milan
1989: Marco van Basten, Netherlands, AC Milan
1990: Lothar Matthäus, West Germany, Inter Milan
1991: Jean-Pierre Papin, France, Marseille
1992: Marco van Basten, Netherlands, AC Milan
1993: Roberto Baggio, Italy, Juventus
1994: Hristo Stoichkov, Bulgaria, Barcelona
1995: George Weah, Liberia, AC Milan
1996: Matthias Sammer, Germany, Borussia Dortmund
1997: Ronaldo, Brazil, Inter Milan
1998: Zinedine Zidane, France, Juventus
1999: Rivaldo, Brazil, Barcelona
2000: Luís Figo, Portugal, Real Madrid
2001: Michael Owen, England, Liverpool
2002: Ronaldo, Brazil, Real Madrid
2003: Pavel Nedvěd, Czech Republic, Juventus
2004: Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine, AC Milan
2005: Ronaldinho, Brazil, Barcelona
2006: Fabio Cannavaro, Italy, Real Madrid
2007: Kaká, Brazil, AC Milan
2008: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Manchester United
2009: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
2010: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
2011: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
2012: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
2013: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Real Madrid
2014: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Real Madrid
2015: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
2016: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Real Madrid
2017: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Real Madrid
2018: Luka Modrić, Croatia, Real Madrid
2019: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
2020: No award, COVID-19 pandemic
2021: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Paris Saint-Germain
2022: Karim Benzema, France, Real Madrid
2023: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Inter Miami
2024: Rodri, Spain, Manchester City
2025: Ousmane Dembélé, France, Paris Saint-Germain

The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on October 26, 2026. The 30-man men’s shortlist includes several of the world’s leading players, including Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal and defending champion Ousmane Dembélé.