The Ballon d’Or is a prestigious annual football award that is presented by the French weekly magazine France Football. It has been in existence since 1956 and is one of the oldest and most highly regarded individual awards granted to football players.
Between 2010 and 2015, FIFA reached an agreement with France Football, and the Ballon d’Or was temporarily combined with the FIFA World Player of the Year (established in 1991) and renamed the FIFA Ballon d’Or. However, the partnership ended in 2016, and the trophy was renamed the Ballon d’Or, while FIFA instituted its own independent annual award, The Best FIFA Men’s Player. Both award organizations recognize the joint FIFA Ballon d’Or winners as winners of their respective awards.
From 1956 to 2006, the Ballon d’Or award was initiated by sports writer Gabriel Hanot to recognize the male player who had performed the best during the preceding year, as determined by a vote of football journalists. Coaches and captains of national teams were granted voting privileges beginning in 2007. The award was initially created for European players only and was known as the European Footballer of the Year award. It was extended in 1995 to include players of any nationality who had played for European clubs. In 2007, the award was opened up to players from all over the world who play professionally.
Ballon d’Or winners by player
- 1956: Stanley Matthews (Blackpool)
- 1957: Alfredo Di Stefano (Real Madrid)
- 1958: Raymond Kopa (Real Madrid)
- 1959: Alfredo Di Stefano (Real Madrid)
- 1960: Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
- 1961: Omar Sivori (Juventus)
- 1962: Josef Masopust (Dukla Prague)
- 1963: Lev Yashin (Dynamo Moscow)
- 1964: Denis Law (Manchester United)
- 1965: Eusebio (Benfica)
- 1966: Bobby Charlton (Manchester United)
- 1967: Florian Albert (Ferencvaros)
- 1968: George Best (Manchester United)
- 1969: Gianni Rivera (AC Milan)
- 1970: Gerd Muller (Bayern Munich)
- 1971: Johan Cruyff (Ajax)
- 1972: Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich)
- 1973: Johan Cruyff (Barcelona)
- 1974: Johan Cruyff (Barcelona)
- 1975: Oleg Blokhin (Dynamo Kyiv)
- 1976: Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich)
- 1977: Allan Simonsen (Borussia Monchengladbach)
- 1978: Kevin Keegan (Hamburg)
- 1979: Kevin Keegan (Hamburg)
- 1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern Munich)
- 1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern Munich)
- 1982: Paolo Rossi (Juventus)
- 1983: Michel Platini (Juventus)
- 1984: Michel Platini (Juventus)
- 1985: Michel Platini (Juventus)
- 1986: Igor Belanov (Dynamo Kyiv)
- 1987: Ruud Gullit (AC Milan)
- 1988: Marco van Basten (AC Milan)
- 1989: Marco van Basten (AC Milan)
- 1990: Lothar Matthaus (Internazionale)
- 1991: Jean-Pierre Papin (Marseille)
- 1992: Marco van Basten (AC Milan)
- 1993: Roberto Baggio (Juventus)
- 1994: Hristo Stoichkov (Barcelona)
- 1995: George Weah (AC Milan)
- 1996: Matthias Sammer (Borussia Dortmund)
- 1997: Ronaldo (Internazionale)
- 1998: Zinedine Zidane (Juventus)
- 1999: Rivaldo (Barcelona)
- 2000: Luis Figo (Real Madrid)
- 2001: Michael Owen (Liverpool)
- 2002: Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
- 2003: Pavel Nedved (Juventus)
- 2004: Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan)
- 2005: Ronaldinho (Barcelona)
- 2006: Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid)
- 2007: Kaka (Milan)
- 2008: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
- 2009: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
- 2010: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
- 2011: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
- 2012: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
- 2013: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
- 2014: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
- 2015: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
- 2016: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
- 2017: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
- 2018: Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
- 2019: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
- 2020: Cancelled because of Covid-19
- 2021: Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
- 2022: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Year | Rank | Player | Team | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ballon d’Or (1956–2009) | ||||
1956 | 1st | Stanley Matthews | Blackpool | 47 |
2nd | Alfredo Di Stéfano | Real Madrid | 44 | |
3rd | Raymond Kopa | Real Madrid | 33 | |
1957 | 1st | Alfredo Di Stéfano | Real Madrid | 72 |
2nd | Billy Wright | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 19 | |
3rd | Duncan Edwards | Manchester United | 16 | |
Raymond Kopa | Real Madrid | |||
1958 | 1st | Raymond Kopa | Real Madrid | 71 |
2nd | Helmut Rahn | Rot-Weiss Essen | 40 | |
3rd | Just Fontaine | Reims | 23 | |
1959 | 1st | Alfredo Di Stéfano | Real Madrid | 80 |
2nd | Raymond Kopa | Reims | 42 | |
3rd | John Charles | Juventus | 24 | |
1960 | 1st | Luis Suárez | Barcelona | 54 |
2nd | Ferenc Puskás | Real Madrid | 37 | |
3rd | Uwe Seeler | Hamburger SV | 33 | |
1961 | 1st | Omar Sívori | Juventus | 46 |
2nd | Luis Suárez | Internazionale | 40 | |
3rd | Johnny Haynes | Fulham | 22 | |
1962 | 1st | Josef Masopust | Dukla Prague | 65 |
2nd | Eusébio | Benfica | 53 | |
3rd | Karl-Heinz Schnellinger | 1. FC Köln | 33 | |
1963 | 1st | Lev Yashin | Dynamo Moscow | 73 |
2nd | Gianni Rivera | Milan | 55 | |
3rd | Jimmy Greaves | Tottenham Hotspur | 50 | |
1964 | 1st | Denis Law | Manchester United | 61 |
2nd | Luis Suárez | Internazionale | 43 | |
3rd | Amancio | Real Madrid | 38 | |
1965 | 1st | Eusébio | Benfica | 67 |
2nd | Giacinto Facchetti | Internazionale | 59 | |
3rd | Luis Suárez | Internazionale | 45 | |
1966 | 1st | Bobby Charlton | Manchester United | 81 |
2nd | Eusébio | Benfica | 80 | |
3rd | Franz Beckenbauer | Bayern Munich | 59 | |
1967 | 1st | Flórián Albert | Ferencváros | 68 |
2nd | Bobby Charlton | Manchester United | 40 | |
3rd | Jimmy Johnstone | Celtic | 39 | |
1968 | 1st | George Best | Manchester United | 61 |
2nd | Bobby Charlton | Manchester United | 53 | |
3rd | Dragan Džajić | Red Star Belgrade | 46 | |
1969 | 1st | Gianni Rivera | Milan | 83 |
2nd | Gigi Riva | Cagliari | 79 | |
3rd | Gerd Müller | Bayern Munich | 38 | |
1970 | 1st | Gerd Müller | Bayern Munich | 77 |
2nd | Bobby Moore | West Ham United | 70 | |
3rd | Gigi Riva | Cagliari | 65 | |
1971 | 1st | Johan Cruyff | Ajax | 116 |
2nd | Sandro Mazzola | Internazionale | 57 | |
3rd | George Best | Manchester United | 56 | |
1972 | 1st | Franz Beckenbauer | Bayern Munich | 81 |
2nd | Gerd Müller | Bayern Munich | 79 | |
Günter Netzer | Borussia Mönchengladbach | |||
1973 | 1st | Johan Cruyff | Barcelona | 96 |
2nd | Dino Zoff | Juventus | 47 | |
3rd | Gerd Müller | Bayern Munich | 44 | |
1974 | 1st | Johan Cruyff | Barcelona | 116 |
2nd | Franz Beckenbauer | Bayern Munich | 105 | |
3rd | Kazimierz Deyna | Legia Warsaw | 35 | |
1975 | 1st | Oleg Blokhin | Dynamo Kyiv | 122 |
2nd | Franz Beckenbauer | Bayern Munich | 42 | |
3rd | Johan Cruyff | Barcelona | 27 | |
1976 | 1st | Franz Beckenbauer | Bayern Munich | 91 |
2nd | Rob Rensenbrink | Anderlecht | 75 | |
3rd | Ivo Viktor | Dukla Prague | 52 | |
1977 | 1st | Allan Simonsen | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 74 |
2nd | Kevin Keegan | Hamburger SV | 71 | |
3rd | Michel Platini | Nancy | 70 | |
1978 | 1st | Kevin Keegan | Hamburger SV | 87 |
2nd | Hans Krankl | Barcelona | 81 | |
3rd | Rob Rensenbrink | Anderlecht | 50 | |
1979 | 1st | Kevin Keegan | Hamburger SV | 118 |
2nd | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | Bayern Munich | 52 | |
3rd | Ruud Krol | Ajax | 41 | |
1980 | 1st | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | Bayern Munich | 122 |
2nd | Bernd Schuster | Barcelona | 34 | |
3rd | Michel Platini | Saint-Étienne | 33 | |
1981 | 1st | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | Bayern Munich | 106 |
2nd | Paul Breitner | Bayern Munich | 64 | |
3rd | Bernd Schuster | Barcelona | 39 | |
1982 | 1st | Paolo Rossi | Juventus | 115 |
2nd | Alain Giresse | Girondins de Bordeaux | 64 | |
3rd | Zbigniew Boniek | Juventus | 39 | |
1983 | 1st | Michel Platini | Juventus | 110 |
2nd | Kenny Dalglish | Liverpool | 26 | |
3rd | Allan Simonsen | Vejle BK | 25 | |
1984 | 1st | Michel Platini | Juventus | 110 |
2nd | Jean Tigana | Girondins de Bordeaux | 57 | |
3rd | Preben Elkjær | Hellas Verona | 48 | |
1985 | 1st | Michel Platini | Juventus | 127 |
2nd | Preben Elkjær | Hellas Verona | 71 | |
3rd | Bernd Schuster | Barcelona | 46 | |
1986 | 1st | Igor Belanov | Dynamo Kyiv | 84 |
2nd | Gary Lineker | Barcelona | 62 | |
3rd | Emilio Butragueño | Real Madrid | 59 | |
1987 | 1st | Ruud Gullit | Milan | 106 |
2nd | Paulo Futre | Atlético Madrid | 91 | |
3rd | Emilio Butragueño | Real Madrid | 61 | |
1988 | 1st | Marco van Basten | Milan | 129 |
2nd | Ruud Gullit | Milan | 88 | |
3rd | Frank Rijkaard | Milan | 45 | |
1989 | 1st | Marco van Basten | Milan | 129 |
2nd | Franco Baresi | Milan | 80 | |
3rd | Frank Rijkaard | Milan | 43 | |
1990 | 1st | Lothar Matthäus | Internazionale | 137 |
2nd | Salvatore Schillaci | Juventus | 84 | |
3rd | Andreas Brehme | Internazionale | 68 | |
1991 | 1st | Jean-Pierre Papin | Marseille | 141 |
2nd | Dejan Savićević | Red Star Belgrade | 42 | |
Darko Pančev | Red Star Belgrade | |||
Lothar Matthäus | Internazionale | |||
1992 | 1st | Marco van Basten | Milan | 98 |
2nd | Hristo Stoichkov | Barcelona | 80 | |
3rd | Dennis Bergkamp | Ajax | 53 | |
1993 | 1st | Roberto Baggio | Juventus | 142 |
2nd | Dennis Bergkamp | Internazionale | 83 | |
3rd | Eric Cantona | Manchester United | 34 | |
1994 | 1st | Hristo Stoichkov | Barcelona | 210 |
2nd | Roberto Baggio | Juventus | 136 | |
3rd | Paolo Maldini | Milan | 109 | |
1995 | 1st | George Weah | Milan | 144 |
2nd | Jürgen Klinsmann | Bayern Munich | 108 | |
3rd | Jari Litmanen | Ajax | 67 | |
1996 | 1st | Matthias Sammer | Borussia Dortmund | 144 |
2nd | Ronaldo | Barcelona | 143 | |
3rd | Alan Shearer | Newcastle United | 107 | |
1997 | 1st | Ronaldo | Internazionale | 222 |
2nd | Predrag Mijatović | Real Madrid | 68 | |
3rd | Zinedine Zidane | Juventus | 63 | |
1998 | 1st | Zinedine Zidane | Juventus | 244 |
2nd | Davor Šuker | Real Madrid | 68 | |
3rd | Ronaldo | Internazionale | 66 | |
1999 | 1st | Rivaldo | Barcelona | 219 |
2nd | David Beckham | Manchester United | 154 | |
3rd | Andriy Shevchenko | Milan | 64 | |
2000 | 1st | Luís Figo | Real Madrid | 197 |
2nd | Zinedine Zidane | Juventus | 181 | |
3rd | Andriy Shevchenko | Milan | 85 | |
2001 | 1st | Michael Owen | Liverpool | 176 |
2nd | Raúl | Real Madrid | 140 | |
3rd | Oliver Kahn | Bayern Munich | 114 | |
2002 | 1st | Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 169 |
2nd | Roberto Carlos | Real Madrid | 145 | |
3rd | Oliver Kahn | Bayern Munich | 110 | |
2003 | 1st | Pavel Nedvěd | Juventus | 190 |
2nd | Thierry Henry | Arsenal | 128 | |
3rd | Paolo Maldini | Milan | 123 | |
2004 | 1st | Andriy Shevchenko | Milan | 175 |
2nd | Deco | Barcelona | 139 | |
3rd | Ronaldinho | Barcelona | 133 | |
2005 | 1st | Ronaldinho | Barcelona | 225 |
2nd | Frank Lampard | Chelsea | 148 | |
3rd | Steven Gerrard | Liverpool | 142 | |
2006 | 1st | Fabio Cannavaro | Real Madrid | 173 |
2nd | Gianluigi Buffon | Juventus | 124 | |
3rd | Thierry Henry | Arsenal | 121 | |
2007 | 1st | Kaká | Milan | 444 |
2nd | Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United | 277 | |
3rd | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 255 | |
2008 | 1st | Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United | 446 |
2nd | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 281 | |
3rd | Fernando Torres | Liverpool | 179 | |
2009 | 1st | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 473 |
2nd | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 233 | |
3rd | Xavi | Barcelona | 170 | |
FIFA Ballon d’Or (2010–2015) | ||||
2010 | 1st | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 22.65% |
2nd | Andrés Iniesta | Barcelona | 17.36% | |
3rd | Xavi | Barcelona | 16.48% | |
2011 | 1st | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 47.88% |
2nd | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 21.60% | |
3rd | Xavi | Barcelona | 9.23% | |
2012 | 1st | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 41.60% |
2nd | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 23.68% | |
3rd | Andrés Iniesta | Barcelona | 10.91% | |
2013 | 1st | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 27.99% |
2nd | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 24.72% | |
3rd | Franck Ribéry | Bayern Munich | 23.36% | |
2014 | 1st | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 37.66% |
2nd | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 15.76% | |
3rd | Manuel Neuer | Bayern Munich | 15.72% | |
2015 | 1st | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 41.33% |
2nd | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 27.76% | |
3rd | Neymar | Barcelona | 7.86% | |
Ballon d’Or (2016–present) | ||||
2016 | 1st | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 745 |
2nd | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 316 | |
3rd | Antoine Griezmann | Atlético Madrid | 198 | |
2017 | 1st | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 946 |
2nd | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 670 | |
3rd | Neymar | Paris Saint-Germain | 361 | |
2018 | 1st | Luka Modrić | Real Madrid | 753 |
2nd | Cristiano Ronaldo | Juventus | 476 | |
3rd | Antoine Griezmann | Atlético Madrid | 414 | |
2019 | 1st | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 686 |
2nd | Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool | 679 | |
3rd | Cristiano Ronaldo | Juventus | 476 | |
2020 | Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
2021 | 1st | Lionel Messi | Paris Saint-Germain | 613 |
2nd | Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | 580 | |
3rd | Jorginho | Chelsea | 460 | |
2022 | 1st | Karim Benzema | Real Madrid | 549 |
2nd | Sadio Mané | Liverpool | 193 | |
3rd | Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City | 175 |
Ballon d’Or winners by country
Country | Players | Wins |
---|---|---|
Argentina | 1 | 7 |
Netherlands | 3 | 7 |
Portugal | 3 | 7 |
Germany | 5 | 7 |
France | 5 | 7 |
Italy | 5 | 5 |
Brazil | 4 | 5 |
England | 4 | 5 |
Soviet Union | 3 | 3 |
Spain | 2 | 3 |
Bulgaria | 1 | 1 |
Croatia | 1 | 1 |
Czech Republic | 1 | 1 |
Czechoslovakia | 1 | 1 |
Denmark | 1 | 1 |
Hungary | 1 | 1 |
Liberia | 1 | 1 |
Northern Ireland | 1 | 1 |
Scotland | 1 | 1 |
Ukraine | 1 | 1 |
Ballon d’Or winners by Clubs
Club | Players | Wins |
---|---|---|
Barcelona | 6 | 12 |
Real Madrid | 7 | 11 |
Juventus | 6 | 8 |
Milan | 6 | 8 |
Bayern Munich | 3 | 5 |
Manchester United | 4 | 4 |
Dynamo Kyiv | 2 | 2 |
Internazionale | 2 | 2 |
Hamburger SV | 1 | 2 |
Ajax | 1 | 1 |
Benfica | 1 | 1 |
Blackpool | 1 | 1 |
Borussia Dortmund | 1 | 1 |
Borussia Mönchengladbach | 1 | 1 |
Dukla Prague | 1 | 1 |
Dynamo Moscow | 1 | 1 |
Ferencváros | 1 | 1 |
Liverpool | 1 | 1 |
Marseille | 1 | 1 |
Paris Saint-Germain | 1 | 1 |
Additional awards
In 1989, Alfredo Di Stéfano was granted an honorary award called the Super Ballon d’Or, as he had garnered more votes than Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini in France Football’s poll. A decade later, France Football named Pelé the Football Player of the Century after consulting with their previous Ballon d’Or awardees; of the 34 former winners, 30 participated in the voting process, with Stanley Matthews, Omar Sívori, and George Best abstaining, and Lev Yashin having passed away. Each voter was allowed five votes, valued at up to five points each. Notably, Di Stéfano only selected a first-place recipient, Platini a first and second place, and George Weah chose two players for fifth place. Out of the 30 voters, 17 declared Pelé as the greatest player, netting him nearly twice the number of points earned by the runner-up, Diego Maradona.
In 2016, to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or, France Football reevaluated the awards granted before 1995, when solely European players were eligible for the accolade. Retrospectively, 12 out of the 39 Ballons d’Or awarded during this period would have gone to South American players, with Pelé, Diego Maradona, Garrincha, Mario Kempes, and Romário being acknowledged as deserving of the honor. However, the original recipients were not altered.
Maradona and Pelé were each bestowed honorary Ballons d’Or in 1995 and 2013, respectively, for their contributions to football.
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