Ballon d’Or previous winners: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane
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Updated 13/10/2022 at 07:55 GMT
Sixty-four players have won the Ballon d’Or in the award’s long history which stretches back to 1956. From 1956 to 1994, the Ballon d'Or was given solely to footballers in Europe and the award was called the European Footballer of the Year. Since 1995, non-European players at European clubs have been eligible for the prize, before it became global in 2007.
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The Ballon d’Or is back with the 2022 ceremony for the most prestigious football award taking place this coming Monday in Paris.
Since 1956, one footballer has been honoured with the Ballon d’Or each year with 64 players winning the prize.
From 1956 to 1994, the Ballon d'Or was solely given to footballers in Europe and the award was called the European Footballer of the Year.
Since 1995, non-European players at European clubs have been eligible for the prize, before it became global in 2007.
On the men’s side there could be a new winner with Karim Benzema expected to win this year’s award.
From Stanley Matthews to Lionel Messi, nearly all of football’s biggest names have won the Ballon d’Or.
Ballon d'Or winners
2011 - 2021
| Year | Player | Team |
| 2021 | Lionel Messi | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 2020 | Not Awarded | |
| 2019 | Lionel Messi | FC Barcelona |
| 2018 | Luka Modric | Real Madrid |
| 2017 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid |
| 2016 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid |
| 2015 | Lionel Messi | FC Barcelona |
| 2014 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid |
| 2013 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid |
| 2012 | Lionel Messi | FC Barcelona |
| 2011 | Lionel Messi | FC Barcelona |
2001 - 2010
| Year | ||
| 2010 | Lionel Messi | FC Barcelona |
| 2009 | Lionel Messi | FC Barcelona |
| 2008 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United |
| 2007 | Kaka | AC Milan |
| 2006 | Fabio Cannavaro | Real Madrid |
| 2005 | Ronaldinho | FC Barcelona |
| 2004 | Andriy Shevchenko | AC Milan |
| 2003 | Pavel Nedved | Juventus FC |
| 2002 | Ronaldo | Real Madrid |
| 2001 | Michael Owen | Liverpool FC |
1991 - 2000
| Year | ||
| 2000 | Luis Figo | Real Madrid |
| 1999 | Rivaldo | FC Barcelona |
| 1998 | Zinedine Zidane | Juventus FC |
| 1997 | Ronaldo | Inter Milan |
| 1996 | Matthias Sammer | Borussia Dortmund |
| 1995 | George Weah | AC Milan |
| 1994 | Hristo Stoichkov | FC Barcelona |
| 1993 | Roberto Baggio | Juventus FC |
| 1992 | Marco van Basten | AC Milan |
| 1991 | Jean-Pierre Papin | Olympique Marseille |
1981 - 1990
| Year | ||
| 1990 | Lothar Matthaus | Inter Milan |
| 1989 | Marco van Basten | AC Milan |
| 1988 | Marco van Basten | AC Milan |
| 1987 | Ruud Gullit | AC Milan |
| 1986 | Igor Belanov | Dynamo Kyiv |
| 1985 | Michel Platini | Juventus FC |
| 1984 | Michel Platini | Juventus FC |
| 1983 | Michel Platini | Juventus FC |
| 1982 | Paolo Rossi | Juventus FC |
| 1981 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | Bayern Munich |
1971 - 1980
| Year | ||
| 1980 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | Bayern Munich |
| 1979 | Kevin Keegan | Hamburger SV |
| 1978 | Kevin Keegan | Hamburger SV |
| 1977 | Allan Simonsen | Borussia Monchengladbach |
| 1976 | Franz Beckenbauer | Bayern Munich |
| 1975 | Oleg Blokhin | Dynamo Kyiv |
| 1974 | Johan Cruyff | FC Barcelona |
| 1973 | Johan Cruyff | FC Barcelona |
| 1972 | Franz Beckenbauer | Bayern Munich |
| 1971 | Johan Cruyff | AFC Ajax |
1961 - 1970
| Year | ||
| 1970 | Gerd Muller | Bayern Munich |
| 1969 | Gianni Rivera | AC Milan |
| 1968 | George Best | Manchester United |
| 1967 | Florian Albert | Ferencv rosi TC |
| 1966 | Bobby Charlton | Manchester United |
| 1965 | Eusebio | SL Benfica |
| 1964 | Denis Law | Manchester United |
| 1963 | Lev Yashin | Dynamo Moscow |
| 1962 | Josef Masopust | Dukla Prague |
| 1961 | Omar Sivori | Juventus FC |
1956 - 1960
| Year | ||
| 1960 | Luiz Suarez | FC Barcelona |
| 1959 | Alfredo Di Stefano | Real Madrid |
| 1958 | Raymond Kopa | Real Madrid |
| 1957 | Alfredo Di Stefano | Real Madrid |
| 1956 | Stanley Matthews | Blackpool FC |
Who has won the most Ballon d’Or?
Only 10 players have won multiple Ballon d’Or awards with Messi at the top of the list with seven wins and Cristiano Ronaldo on five.
Both players have lifted the trophy on four consecutive occasions, winning 12 of the last 13 Ballon d’Or awards, with Real Madrid’s Luka Modric bringing their run of success to a brief end in 2018.
| Player | Ballon d'Or titles | Years |
| Lionel Messi | 7 | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 5 | 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 |
| Michel Platini | 3 | 1983, 1984, 1985 |
| Johan Cruyff | 3 | 1971, 1973, 1974 |
| Marco van Basten | 3 | 1988, 1989, 1992 |
| Franz Beckenbauer | 2 | 1972, 1976 |
| Ronaldo | 2 | 1997, 2002 |
| Alfredo Di Stefano | 2 | 1957, 1959 |
| Kevin Keegan | 2 | 1978, 1979 |
| Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | 2 | 1980, 1981 |
Ballon d’Or Feminin winners
The Ballon d’Or Feminin began in 2018 with three different winners from the three years it has taken place.
Ada Hegerberg was the first player to win the prize, before Megan Rapinoe won in 2019 for her part in leading the United States to World Cup glory.
Last year, Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d’Or Feminin and she is likely to become the first player to win back-to-back titles.
| Year | Player | Team |
| 2021 | Alexia Putellas | Barcelona |
| 2020 | Not Awarded | |
| 2019 | Megan Rapinoe | OL Reign |
| 2018 | Ada Hegerberg | Lyon |
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