Ballon d'Or: The complete winners list since 1956

The winner of the Ballon d'Or 2025 will be revealed on Monday, September 22, 2025, during a ceremony held at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

Created in 1956 by France Football, this trophy was initially reserved for European players before opening up to players of other nationalities playing in Europe between 1995 and 2006. Since then, the award has been given to the best player in the world, regardless of league or nationality.

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The player with the most Ballon d'Or trophies is Lionel Messi. The 2022 World Cup champion has claimed this accolade eight times, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (five trophies).

Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff, and Marco van Basten have each won the Ballon d'Or three times, while Franz Beckenbauer, Ronaldo, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Kevin Keegan, and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge have each etched their names on the trophy twice.

The complete Ballon d'Or winners list:

2024: Rodri (Spain - Manchester City)

2023: Lionel Messi (Argentina – Paris SG and Inter Miami)

2022: Karim Benzema (France – Real Madrid)

2021: Lionel Messi (Argentina – FC Barcelona and Paris SG)

2020: Not awarded due to the Covid-19 pandemic

2019: Lionel Messi (Argentina – FC Barcelona)

2018: Luka Modric (Croatia - Real Madrid)

2017: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal- Real Madrid)

2016: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal – Real Madrid)

2015: Lionel Messi (Argentina - FC Barcelona)

2014: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal – Real Madrid)

2013: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal – Real Madrid)

2012: Lionel Messi (Argentina- FC Barcelona)

2011: Lionel Messi (Argentina - FC Barcelona)

2010: Lionel Messi (Argentina - FC Barcelona)

2009: Lionel Messi (Argentina – FC Barcelona)

2008: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal – Manchester United)

2007: Kaká (Brazil – AC Milan)

2006: Fabio Cannavaro (Italy – Juventus and Real Madrid)

2005: Ronaldinho (Brazil – FC Barcelona)

2004: Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine – AC Milan)

2003: Pavel Nedvěd (Czech Republic - Juventus)

2002: Ronaldo (Brazil – Inter Milan and Real Madrid)

2001: Michael Owen (England - Liverpool)

2000: Luís Figo (Portugal – FC Barcelona and Real Madrid)

1999: Rivaldo (Brazil – FC Barcelona)

1998: Zinedine Zidane (France - Juventus)

1997: Ronaldo (Brazil – FC Barcelona and Inter Milan)

1996: Matthias Sammer (Germany - Borussia Dortmund)

1995: George Weah (Liberia – Paris SG and AC Milan)

1994: Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria – FC Barcelona)

1993: Roberto Baggio (Italy - Juventus)

1992: Marco van Basten (Netherlands - AC Milan)

1991: Jean-Pierre Papin (France – Olympique de Marseille)

1990: Lothar Matthäus (Germany - Inter Milan)

1989: Marco van Basten (Netherlands - AC Milan)

1988: Marco van Basten (Netherlands - AC Milan)

1987: Ruud Gullit (Netherlands – PSV Eindhoven and AC Milan)

1986: Igor Belanov (Soviet Union – Dynamo Kyiv)

1985: Michel Platini (France - Juventus)

1984: Michel Platini (France - Juventus)

1983: Michel Platini (France - Juventus)

1982: Paolo Rossi (Italy - Juventus)

1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany – Bayern Munich)

1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany – Bayern Munich)

1979: Kevin Keegan (England - Hamburg SV)

1978: Kevin Keegan (England - Hamburg SV)

1977: Allan Simonsen (Denmark - Borussia Mönchengladbach)

1976: Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany – Bayern Munich)

1975: Oleg Blokhin (Soviet Union – Dynamo Kyiv)

1974: Johan Cruyff (Netherlands – FC Barcelona)

1973: Johan Cruyff (Netherlands - Ajax Amsterdam and FC Barcelona)

1972: Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany - Bayern Munich)

1971: Johan Cruyff (Netherlands – Ajax Amsterdam)

1970: Gerd Müller (West Germany – Bayern Munich)

1969: Gianni Rivera (Italy – AC Milan)

1968: George Best (Northern Ireland – Manchester United)

1967: Flórián Albert (Hungary - Ferencváros)

1966: Bobby Charlton (England – Manchester United)

1965: Eusébio (Portugal – Benfica Lisbon)

1964: Denis Law (Scotland – Manchester United)

1963: Lev Yashin (Soviet Union – Dynamo Moscow)

1962: Josef Masopust (Czech Republic – Dukla Prague)

1961: Omar Sívori (Italy - Juventus)

1960: Luis Suárez (Spain – FC Barcelona)

1959: Alfredo Di Stéfano (Spain - Real Madrid)

1958: Raymond Kopa (France- Real Madrid)

1957: Alfredo Di Stéfano (Spain – Real Madrid)

1956: Stanley Matthews (England – Blackpool FC)

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.