Every Ballon d'Or Winner (1956–2025)

70 entries · verified 2026-07-20 · free · from the Ball IQ football team

The Ballon d'Or is football's most prestigious individual prize, first handed to England winger Stanley Matthews in 1956. Originally awarded by France Football to the best player in Europe, it later opened up to players worldwide and, from 2010 to 2015, merged with FIFA's award to become the FIFA Ballon d'Or before returning to France Football control. This page lists every men's winner in order, alongside the club they were at when they lifted the trophy and their nationality.

The modern era belongs to two players: Lionel Messi holds the record with eight Ballons d'Or, while Cristiano Ronaldo has won five. Between 2008 and 2023 the pair claimed the award 13 times in 16 years — the run broken only by Luka Modrić (2018), Karim Benzema (2022) and the cancelled 2020 edition. Kaká (2007) was the last winner before the duopoly took hold, and Rodri (2024) the first to follow it. No award was given in 2020, when the ceremony was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic — the only blank year in the award's history.

A few names stand out for rarity: Lev Yashin remains the only goalkeeper ever to win it, in 1963, and Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten are the three players to have won it three times each. The most recent winner is Ousmane Dembélé, who took the 2025 award after leading Paris Saint-Germain to their first Champions League title.

Every Ballon d'Or Winner (1956–2025) — FAQ