We have the Ballon d’Or winners list for you. The award is earned by the best soccer (football) player over the past year. It has been given annually since 1956. 2020 is the only year a player was not selected (due to COVID). Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or the most times with eight. Cristiano Ronaldo has earned the second-most at five. The FIFA player of the year award is a separate award. The two were combined for about five years (2010-15). We have the full list for you below.
What is the Ballon d’Or Award?
The Ballon d’Or or Golden Ball, is one of the most prestigious awards in sports. It is presented by French news magazine, France Football to honor the player who has performed the best over the past season. The award has been presented since 1956. Notably, the only year that the award was not given was in 2020 due to COVID.
How is the Ballon d’Or Award Selected?
The Ballon d’Or is voted on by a journalist panel. In 2022, a change was made to limit the voters to the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings for the men’s award. On the ballot, each journalist selects their top five picks. Each pick has a weight based on where the voter places them. So, six points are awarded for first place, 4 for second, 3 for third, 2 for fourth, and one for fifth.
The three main factors writers consider in the voting are: 1 – performance during the previous European soccer season (August to July), team success, and player behavior and fair play. Career excellence or achievements are not considered in the vote. In 2023 the Ballon d’Or was announced in September. For the 2024 award, it will come after the Champions League Final, Euro 24, and the Paris Olympics.
Ballon d’Or Winners List (2000-2024)
We have the Ballon d’Or winners list for you below. To make it more readable, we split up the winners for you.
| Year | Player Name | Nationality | Club |
| 2024 | |||
| 2023 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Inter Miami |
| 2022 | Karim Benzema | 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 | Ukraine | Milan |
| 2003 | Pavel Nedvěd | Czechia | Juventus |
| 2002 | Ronaldo | Brazil | Real Madrid |
| 2001 | Michael Owen | England | Liverpool |
| 2000 | Luís Figo | Portugal | Real Madrid |
Ballon d’Or Winners List (1975-1999)
| Year | Player Name | Nationality | Club |
| 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 Mönchengladbach |
| 1976 | Franz Beckenbauer | West Germany | Bayern Munich |
| 1975 | Oleg Blokhin | Soviet Union | Dynamo Kyiv |
Ballon d’Or Winners List (1956-1974)
| Year | Player Name | Nationality | Club |
| 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 | Argentina / Spain | Real Madrid |
| 1958 | Raymond Kopa | France | Real Madrid |
| 1957 | Alfredo Di Stéfano | Argentina / Spain | Real Madrid |
| 1956 | Stanley Matthews | England | Blackpool |
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