The Ballon d’Or winners list features some of the greatest footballers in history, from inaugural winner Stanley Matthews in 1956 to Ousmane Dembélé in 2025. Lionel Messi holds the record with eight awards, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five.
Presented by France Football, the men’s Ballon d’Or recognises outstanding individual performance in football. Below is the complete list of winners by year, followed by the players with the most victories and answers to common questions.
Complete Ballon d’Or Winners List: 1956–2025
The following table covers the men’s award. The separate Ballon d’Or Féminin began in 2018. Historical results are compiled from UEFA’s official Ballon d’Or winners list.
| Year | Ballon d’Or winner |
|---|---|
| 1956 | Stanley Matthews |
| 1957 | Alfredo Di Stéfano |
| 1958 | Raymond Kopa |
| 1959 | Alfredo Di Stéfano |
| 1960 | Luis Suárez |
| 1961 | Omar Sívori |
| 1962 | Josef Masopust |
| 1963 | Lev Yashin |
| 1964 | Denis Law |
| 1965 | Eusébio |
| 1966 | Bobby Charlton |
| 1967 | Flórián Albert |
| 1968 | George Best |
| 1969 | Gianni Rivera |
| 1970 | Gerd Müller |
| 1971 | Johan Cruyff |
| 1972 | Franz Beckenbauer |
| 1973 | Johan Cruyff |
| 1974 | Johan Cruyff |
| 1975 | Oleg Blokhin |
| 1976 | Franz Beckenbauer |
| 1977 | Allan Simonsen |
| 1978 | Kevin Keegan |
| 1979 | Kevin Keegan |
| 1980 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge |
| 1981 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge |
| 1982 | Paolo Rossi |
| 1983 | Michel Platini |
| 1984 | Michel Platini |
| 1985 | Michel Platini |
| 1986 | Igor Belanov |
| 1987 | Ruud Gullit |
| 1988 | Marco van Basten |
| 1989 | Marco van Basten |
| 1990 | Lothar Matthäus |
| 1991 | Jean-Pierre Papin |
| 1992 | Marco van Basten |
| 1993 | Roberto Baggio |
| 1994 | Hristo Stoichkov |
| 1995 | George Weah |
| 1996 | Matthias Sammer |
| 1997 | Ronaldo |
| 1998 | Zinedine Zidane |
| 1999 | Rivaldo |
| 2000 | Luís Figo |
| 2001 | Michael Owen |
| 2002 | Ronaldo |
| 2003 | Pavel Nedvěd |
| 2004 | Andriy Shevchenko |
| 2005 | Ronaldinho |
| 2006 | Fabio Cannavaro |
| 2007 | Kaká |
| 2008 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| 2009 | Lionel Messi |
| 2010 | Lionel Messi |
| 2011 | Lionel Messi |
| 2012 | Lionel Messi |
| 2013 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| 2014 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| 2015 | Lionel Messi |
| 2016 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| 2017 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| 2018 | Luka Modrić |
| 2019 | Lionel Messi |
| 2020 | Cancelled — no award |
| 2021 | Lionel Messi |
| 2022 | Karim Benzema |
| 2023 | Lionel Messi |
| 2024 | Rodri |
| 2025 | Ousmane Dembélé |
2026 update: At the time of verification on October 26, 2026, the official Ballon d’Or winners page listed the 2026 men’s winner as “to be announced.”
Who Has Won the Most Ballon d’Or Awards?
Lionel Messi leads the all-time standings with eight Ballon d’Or wins. Cristiano Ronaldo is second with five, while Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten each won three.
| Player | Awards | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | 8 | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023 |
| 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 |
| Alfredo Di Stéfano | 2 | 1957, 1959 |
| Franz Beckenbauer | 2 | 1972, 1976 |
| Kevin Keegan | 2 | 1978, 1979 |
| Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | 2 | 1980, 1981 |
| Ronaldo | 2 | 1997, 2002 |
These totals are calculated from UEFA’s year-by-year results.
The Messi and Ronaldo Era
Between 2008 and 2017, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo won every men’s Ballon d’Or. Their ten-year run included Messi’s four consecutive victories from 2009 to 2012 and Ronaldo’s back-to-back wins in both 2013–2014 and 2016–2017.
Luka Modrić ended that sequence in 2018. Messi later added the 2019, 2021 and 2023 awards, taking his total to eight. The results illustrate how strongly the two players shaped the award’s recent history. Source: UEFA.
Recent Ballon d’Or Winners
Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 men’s Ballon d’Or, succeeding 2024 winner Rodri. Before them, Lionel Messi claimed his eighth award in 2023, while Karim Benzema won in 2022.
The recent winners show a wider spread of recipients following the decade dominated by Messi and Ronaldo. From 2022 through 2025, four different players received the trophy. Source: UEFA.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ballon d’Or Winners
Who won the first Ballon d’Or?
Stanley Matthews won the first Ballon d’Or in 1956.
Who has the most Ballon d’Or wins?
Lionel Messi holds the record with eight awards. His winning years were 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
How many Ballon d’Or awards has Cristiano Ronaldo won?
Cristiano Ronaldo has won five Ballon d’Or awards: in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Who won the 2020 Ballon d’Or?
There was no winner in 2020 because the award was cancelled.
Who won the 2025 Ballon d’Or?
Ousmane Dembélé won the men’s Ballon d’Or in 2025.
Who has won the most consecutive Ballon d’Or awards?
Lionel Messi holds the record with four consecutive wins, achieved from 2009 through 2012.
All historical answers above are supported by UEFA’s official winners list.