How Many Players Have Won The Ballon D’or In Football History?

Here are all the players, the men’s and women’s teams, who have been crowned as winners of the prestigious Ballon d’Or award.

The Ballon d’Or is an annual football award created in 1956 by France Football magazine to recognise the best individual performances in the sport.

Originally limited to European players, eligibility expanded in 1995 to include all players at European clubs and later opened worldwide in 2007. The award briefly merged with FIFA’s World Player of the Year between 2010 and 2015 before returning to its original format. It was not presented in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and since 2024, UEFA has hosted the ceremony while France Football continues to manage the voting system.

Who are the players who have been crowned winners of the Ballon d’Or award?

Here is a list of every single player for the men’s and women’s teams who have received the honour of winning the Ballon d’Or award since the inception of the award ceremony itself:

Every player who has won the Ballon d’Or award (Women)

Here is every player who has won the Ballon d’Or in the women’s category:

1. Alexia Putellas – 2 (2021, 2022, FC Barcelona Femení, Spain)
2. Aitana Bonmatí – 2 (2023, 2024, FC Barcelona Femení, Spain)
3. Ada Hegerberg – 1 (2018, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, Norway)
4. Megan Rapinoe – 1 (2019, Reign FC, USA)

Full list of every Ballon d’Or winner (men)

A total of 41 players have received the honour of being called a Ballon d’Or winner for the men’s category, with at least 3 of the 41 players winning the award a minimum of three times.

Here are the players who have won the Ballon d’Or multiple times in football history:

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)
4. Michel Platini – 3 (1983, 1984, 1985)
5. Marco van Basten – 3 (1988, 1989, 1992)
6. Franz Beckenbauer – 2 (1972, 1976)
7. Kevin Keegan – 2 (1978, 1979)
8. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge – 2 (1980, 1981)
9. Alfredo Di Stéfano – 2 (1957, 1959)
10. Ronaldo Nazário – 2 (1997, 2002)

Here are all the players who have won the Ballon d’Or for the men’s category:

1950s

• 1956 – Stanley Matthews (Blackpool FC, England)
• 1957 – Alfredo Di Stéfano (Real Madrid, Argentina)
• 1958 – Raymond Kopa (Real Madrid, France)
• 1959 – Alfredo Di Stéfano (Real Madrid, Argentina)

1960s

• 1960 – Luis Suárez (FC Barcelona, Spain)
• 1961 – Omar Sívori (Juventus, Italy)
• 1962 – Josef Masopust (Dukla Prague, Czechoslovakia)
• 1963 – Lev Yashin (Dynamo Moscow, Soviet Union)
• 1964 – Denis Law (Manchester United, Scotland)
• 1965 – Eusébio (Benfica, Portugal)
• 1966 – Bobby Charlton (Manchester United, England)
• 1967 – Flórián Albert (Ferencvaros, Hungary)
• 1968 – George Best (Manchester United, Northern Ireland)
• 1969 – Gianni Rivera (AC Milan, Italy)

1970s

• 1970 – Gerd Müller (Bayern Munich, West Germany)
• 1971 – Johan Cruyff (Ajax, Netherlands)
• 1972 – Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich, West Germany)
• 1973 – Johan Cruyff (FC Barcelona, Netherlands)
• 1974 – Johan Cruyff (FC Barcelona, Netherlands)
• 1975 – Oleg Blokhin (Dynamo Kyiv, Soviet Union)
• 1976 – Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich, West Germany)
• 1977 – Allan Simonsen (Borussia Mönchengladbach, Denmark)
• 1978 – Kevin Keegan (Hamburger SV, England)
• 1979 – Kevin Keegan (Hamburger SV, England)

1980s

• 1980 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern Munich, West Germany)
• 1981 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern Munich, West Germany)
• 1982 – Paolo Rossi (Juventus, Italy)
• 1983 – Michel Platini (Juventus, France)
• 1984 – Michel Platini (Juventus, France)
• 1985 – Michel Platini (Juventus, France)
• 1986 – Igor Belanov (Dynamo Kyiv, Soviet Union)
• 1987 – Ruud Gullit (AC Milan, Netherlands)
• 1988 – Marco van Basten (AC Milan, Netherlands)
• 1989 – Marco van Basten (AC Milan, Netherlands)

1990s

• 1990 – Lothar Matthäus (Inter Milan, Germany)
• 1991 – Jean-Pierre Papin (Olympique de Marseille, France)
• 1992 – Marco van Basten (AC Milan, Netherlands)
• 1993 – Roberto Baggio (Juventus, Italy)
• 1994 – Hristo Stoichkov (FC Barcelona, Bulgaria)
• 1995 – George Weah (AC Milan, Liberia)
• 1996 – Matthias Sammer (Borussia Dortmund, Germany)
• 1997 – Ronaldo (Inter Milan, Brazil)
• 1998 – Zinedine Zidane (Juventus, France)
• 1999 – Rivaldo (FC Barcelona, Brazil)

2000s

• 2000 – Luís Figo (Real Madrid, Portugal)
• 2001 – Michael Owen (Liverpool FC, England)
• 2002 – Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Brazil)
• 2003 – Pavel Nedvěd (Juventus, Czech Republic)
• 2004 – Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan, Ukraine)
• 2005 – Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona, Brazil)
• 2006 – Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid, Italy)
• 2007 – Kaká (AC Milan, Brazil)
• 2008 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Portugal)
• 2009 – Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona, Argentina)

2010s

• 2010 – Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona, Argentina)
• 2011 – Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona, Argentina)
• 2012 – Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona, Argentina)
• 2013 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Portugal)
• 2014 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Portugal)
• 2015 – Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona, Argentina)
• 2016 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Portugal)
• 2017 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Portugal)
• 2018 – Luka Modrić (Real Madrid, Croatia)
• 2019 – Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona, Argentina)

2020s

• 2020 – Not awarded (COVID-19)
• 2021 – Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain, Argentina)
• 2022 – Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, France)
• 2023 – Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)
• 2024 – Rodri (Manchester City, Spain)