Ball IQPlayers With the Most Ballon d'Or Awards
10 entries · verified 2026-07-20 · free · from the Ball IQ football team
The Ballon d'Or has gone to the best player in the world (in Europe, until 2007) every year since 1956. This page ranks the players who have won it more than once — the small club of true greats who dominated their eras.
Lionel Messi stands alone at the top with a record eight, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo on five. Behind that modern duopoly sit three of the game's all-time icons — Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten — each a three-time winner.
| Rank | Player | Ballon d'Ors | Years won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | 8 | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023 |
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 5 | 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 |
| 3 | Johan Cruyff | 3 | 1971, 1973, 1974 |
| 3 | Marco van Basten | 3 | 1988, 1989, 1992 |
| 3 | Michel Platini | 3 | 1983, 1984, 1985 |
| 6 | Alfredo Di Stéfano | 2 | 1957, 1959 |
| 6 | Franz Beckenbauer | 2 | 1972, 1976 |
| 6 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | 2 | 1980, 1981 |
| 6 | Kevin Keegan | 2 | 1978, 1979 |
| 6 | Ronaldo | 2 | 1997, 2002 |
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Players With the Most Ballon d'Or Awards — FAQ
Who has won the most Ballon d'Or awards?
Lionel Messi has won the most, with 8 — in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023. Cristiano Ronaldo is next with five.
Who has won three Ballon d'Ors?
Three players have won it three times each: Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten.
Is this every Ballon d'Or winner?
This page ranks the multiple winners. For the full year-by-year list of every Ballon d'Or winner since 1956, with their club and nationality, see our Ballon d'Or winners list.