Ballon d’Or: Full List of Players Who Have Won Football’s Biggest Individual Award
- The Ballon d'Or remains the most prestigious individual award in football since it was introduced back in 1956
- France Football magazine and UEFA have continued to honour outstanding players, coaches, and teams, with the prize
- About 100 journalists from FIFA-ranked countries vote for players based on individual, collective performance and fair play
The Ballon d'Or, which has been awarded every year since 1956, is regarded as the most prestigious individual honour in world football.
All roads lead to the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on Monday night, September 22, as the world is set to crown the best footballers, coaches and teams with the coveted award.
Initiated by France Football magazine, this special award has been won by some of the greatest players to ever grace the pitch.
Source: Getty Images
About 70 years ago, Sir Stanley Matthews claimed the first Ballon d'Or, and since then, it has become a testament to outstanding skill, impact on the game and dedication.
It was not until 2018 that the female award was introduced to recognise the outstanding footballers in the women's category.
Argentine legend Lionel Messi has won the award more than any player, having bagged the coveted trophy eight times, with fierce rival Cristiano Ronaldo having five.
Both players dominated the football space for more than a decade, with no one in between them between 2008 and 2017.
The award is handed to the distinguished players of the season, i.e from summer to summer; and not of the calendar year (from January to December), per Marca.
About 100 journalists from each country on the FIFA ranking vote to choose the winners each year based on individual performance, collective performance and sense of fair play.
It only rewards players for their performance in a season and does not consider their past career performance.
That is, the Ballon d'Or rewards the season, without going into the past careers of the players, per UEFA.
Here we remember all the winners of the Ballon d'Or:
Men's Ballon d'Or Winners
2024: Rodri (Spain)
2023: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2022: Karim Benzema (France)
2021: Lionel Messi
2020: No award
2019: Lionel Messi
2018: Luka Modric (Croatia)
2017: Cristiano Ronaldo
2016: Cristiano Ronaldo
2015: Lionel Messi
2014: Cristiano Ronaldo
2013: Cristiano Ronaldo
2012: Lionel Messi
2011: Lionel Messi
2010: Lionel Messi
2009: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2008: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2007: Kaká (Brazil)
2006: Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
2005: Ronaldinho (Brazil)
2004: Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)
2003: Pavel Nevdev (Czech Republic)
2002: Ronaldo
2001: Michael Owen (England)
2000: Luis Figo (Portugal)
1999: Rivaldo (Brazil)
1998: Zinedine Zidane (France)
1997: Ronaldo (Brazil)
1996: Matthias Sammer (Germany)
1995: George Weah (Liberia)
1994: Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
1993: Roberto Baggio (Italy)
1992: Marco Van Basten
1991: Jean-Pierre Papin (France)
1990: Lothar Matthäus (Germany)
1989: Marco Van Basten
1988: Marco Van Basten (Netherlands)
1987: Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)
1986: Igor Belanov (Ukraine)
1985: Michel Platini
1984: Michel Platini
1983: Michel Platini (France)
1982: Paolo Rossi (Italy)
1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Germany)
1979: Kevin Keegan
1978: Kevin Keegan (England)
1977: Allan Simonsen (Denmark)
1976: Franz Beckenbauer
1975: Oleg Blokhin (Ukraine)
1974: Johan Cruyff
1973: Johan Cruyff
1972: Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)
1971: Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1970: Gerd Müller (Germany)
1969: Gianni Rivera (Italy)
1968: George Best (Northern Ireland)
1967: Flórian Albert (Hungary)
1966: Bobby Charlton (England)
1965: Eusebio (Portugal)
1964: Denis Law (Scotland)
1963: Lev Yashin (Soviet Union)
1962: Josef Masopust (Czech Republic)
1961: Enrique Omar Sívori (Argentina/Italy)
1960: Luis Suárez (Spain)
1959: Alfredo Di Stéfano
1958: Raymond Kopa (France)
1957: Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina/Spain)
1956: Stanley Matthews (England)
Women's Ballon d'Or Winners
2024: Aitana Bonmatí
2023: Aitana Bonmatí
2022: Alexia Putellas
2021 Alexia Putellas
2020: No award
2019: Megan Rapinoe
2018: Ada Hegerberg
Source: Getty Images
How much comes with Ballon d'Or?
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Ballon d'Or, which is backed by UEFA and France Football, only issues the statuette as a symbol of prestige.
There are claims that the trophy is not made of pure gold, and the value is just around 3,000 euros.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
