The Ballon d’Or, created in 1956 by France Football, is one of football’s most prestigious individual awards, celebrating the world’s best players.
Originally restricted to Europeans, eligibility expanded in 1995 to all players at European clubs and then worldwide from 2007.
The award briefly merged with FIFA’s World Player of the Year (2010–2015) before returning to France Football’s sole management. In 2020, it was not presented due to COVID-19. Since 2024, UEFA has hosted the ceremony, with France Football overseeing voting.
Women’s Ballon d’Or Winners
- Alexia Putellas – 2 (2021, 2022, FC Barcelona Femení, Spain)
- Aitana Bonmatí – 2 (2023, 2024, FC Barcelona Femení, Spain)
- Ada Hegerberg – 1 (2018, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, Norway)
- Megan Rapinoe – 1 (2019, Reign FC, USA)
Men’s Ballon d’Or Winners
Players with Multiple Titles
- Lionel Messi – 8 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023)
- Cristiano Ronaldo – 5 (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017)
- Johan Cruyff – 3 (1971, 1973, 1974)
- Michel Platini – 3 (1983, 1984, 1985)
- Marco van Basten – 3 (1988, 1989, 1992)
- Franz Beckenbauer – 2 (1972, 1976)
- Kevin Keegan – 2 (1978, 1979)
- Karl-Heinz Rummenigge – 2 (1980, 1981)
- Alfredo Di Stéfano – 2 (1957, 1959)
- Ronaldo Nazário – 2 (1997, 2002)
By Decade
1950s
- 1956 – Stanley Matthews (Blackpool, England)
- 1957 – Alfredo Di Stéfano (Real Madrid, Argentina)
- 1958 – Raymond Kopa (Real Madrid, France)
- 1959 – Alfredo Di Stéfano (Real Madrid, Argentina)
1960s
- 1960 – Luis Suárez (Barcelona, Spain)
- 1961 – Omar Sívori (Juventus, Italy)
- 1962 – Josef Masopust (Dukla Prague, Czechoslovakia)
- 1963 – Lev Yashin (Dynamo Moscow, Soviet Union)
- 1964 – Denis Law (Manchester United, Scotland)
- 1965 – Eusébio (Benfica, Portugal)
- 1966 – Bobby Charlton (Manchester United, England)
- 1967 – Flórián Albert (Ferencváros, Hungary)
- 1968 – George Best (Manchester United, Northern Ireland)
- 1969 – Gianni Rivera (AC Milan, Italy)
1970s
- 1970 – Gerd Müller (Bayern Munich, West Germany)
- 1971 – Johan Cruyff (Ajax, Netherlands)
- 1972 – Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich, West Germany)
- 1973 – Johan Cruyff (Barcelona, Netherlands)
- 1974 – Johan Cruyff (Barcelona, Netherlands)
- 1975 – Oleg Blokhin (Dynamo Kyiv, Soviet Union)
- 1976 – Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich, West Germany)
- 1977 – Allan Simonsen (Borussia Mönchengladbach, Denmark)
- 1978 – Kevin Keegan (Hamburger SV, England)
- 1979 – Kevin Keegan (Hamburger SV, England)
1980s
- 1980 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern Munich, West Germany)
- 1981 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern Munich, West Germany)
- 1982 – Paolo Rossi (Juventus, Italy)
- 1983 – Michel Platini (Juventus, France)
- 1984 – Michel Platini (Juventus, France)
- 1985 – Michel Platini (Juventus, France)
- 1986 – Igor Belanov (Dynamo Kyiv, Soviet Union)
- 1987 – Ruud Gullit (AC Milan, Netherlands)
- 1988 – Marco van Basten (AC Milan, Netherlands)
- 1989 – Marco van Basten (AC Milan, Netherlands)
1990s
- 1990 – Lothar Matthäus (Inter Milan, Germany)
- 1991 – Jean-Pierre Papin (Marseille, France)
- 1992 – Marco van Basten (AC Milan, Netherlands)
- 1993 – Roberto Baggio (Juventus, Italy)
- 1994 – Hristo Stoichkov (Barcelona, Bulgaria)
- 1995 – George Weah (AC Milan, Liberia)
- 1996 – Matthias Sammer (Borussia Dortmund, Germany)
- 1997 – Ronaldo (Inter Milan, Brazil)
- 1998 – Zinedine Zidane (Juventus, France)
- 1999 – Rivaldo (Barcelona, Brazil)
2000s
- 2000 – Luís Figo (Real Madrid, Portugal)
- 2001 – Michael Owen (Liverpool, England)
- 2002 – Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Brazil)
- 2003 – Pavel Nedvěd (Juventus, Czech Republic)
- 2004 – Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan, Ukraine)
- 2005 – Ronaldinho (Barcelona, Brazil)
- 2006 – Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid, Italy)
- 2007 – Kaká (AC Milan, Brazil)
- 2008 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Portugal)
- 2009 – Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina)
2010s
- 2010 – Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina)
- 2011 – Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina)
- 2012 – Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina)
- 2013 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Portugal)
- 2014 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Portugal)
- 2015 – Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina)
- 2016 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Portugal)
- 2017 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Portugal)
- 2018 – Luka Modrić (Real Madrid, Croatia)
- 2019 – Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina)
2020s
- 2020 – Not awarded (COVID-19)
- 2021 – Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain, Argentina)
- 2022 – Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, France)
- 2023 – Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)
- 2024 – Rodri (Manchester City, Spain)