Ballon d’Or winners (1958-2020) - Seif Khaled

Ballon d’Or Winners [Full List] UPDATED

The Ballon d’Or is an annual football award presented by the French weekly magazine France Football. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious individual awards given to football players.
It has been given since 1956, but between 2010 and 2015, an agreement was reached with FIFA, and the award was temporarily amalgamated with the FIFA World Player of the Year (established in 1991) and renamed the FIFA Ballon d’Or.
Nevertheless, the relationship terminated in 2016, and the trophy was renamed the Ballon d’Or, while FIFA established its own distinct annual award, The Best FIFA Men’s Player.
Both award organisations regard the joint FIFA Ballon d’Or winners to be winners.

From 1956 through 2006, the Ballon d’Or award was created by sports writer Gabriel Hanot to honour the male player deemed to have played the best over the preceding year, based on vote by football journalists.
Coaches and captains of national teams were given the right to vote after 2007.
Initially, it was only for European players and was known as the European Footballer of the Year award.
The Ballon d’Or was expanded in 1995 to include all players of any nationality who have played for European clubs.
In 2007, the award became a global honour, with all professional players from across the world eligible.

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 England Stanley Matthews England Blackpool 47
2nd Spain Alfredo Di Stéfano Spain Real Madrid 44
3rd France Raymond Kopa Spain Real Madrid 33
1957 1st Spain Alfredo Di Stéfano Spain Real Madrid 72
2nd England Billy Wright England Wolverhampton Wanderers 19
3rd England Duncan Edwards England Manchester United 16
France Raymond Kopa Spain Real Madrid
1958 1st France Raymond Kopa Spain Real Madrid 71
2nd West Germany Helmut Rahn West Germany Rot-Weiss Essen 40
3rd France Just Fontaine France Reims 23
1959 1st Spain Alfredo Di Stéfano Spain Real Madrid 80
2nd France Raymond Kopa France Reims 42
3rd Wales John Charles Italy Juventus 24
1960 1st Spain Luis Suárez Spain Barcelona 54
2nd Hungary Ferenc Puskás Spain Real Madrid 37
3rd West Germany Uwe Seeler West Germany Hamburger SV 33
1961 1st Italy Omar Sívori Italy Juventus 46
2nd Spain Luis Suárez Italy Internazionale 40
3rd England Johnny Haynes England Fulham 22
1962 1st Czechoslovakia Josef Masopust Czechoslovakia Dukla Prague 65
2nd Portugal Eusébio Portugal Benfica 53
3rd West Germany Karl-Heinz Schnellinger West Germany 1. FC Köln 33
1963 1st Soviet Union Lev Yashin Soviet Union Dynamo Moscow 73
2nd Italy Gianni Rivera Italy Milan 55
3rd England Jimmy Greaves England Tottenham Hotspur 50
1964 1st Scotland Denis Law England Manchester United 61
2nd Spain Luis Suárez Italy Internazionale 43
3rd Spain Amancio Spain Real Madrid 38
1965 1st Portugal Eusébio Portugal Benfica 67
2nd Italy Giacinto Facchetti Italy Internazionale 59
3rd Spain Luis Suárez Italy Internazionale 45
1966 1st England Bobby Charlton England Manchester United 81
2nd Portugal Eusébio Portugal Benfica 80
3rd West Germany Franz Beckenbauer West Germany Bayern Munich 59
1967 1st Hungary Flórián Albert Hungary Ferencváros 68
2nd England Bobby Charlton England Manchester United 40
3rd Scotland Jimmy Johnstone Scotland Celtic 39
1968 1st Northern Ireland George Best England Manchester United 61
2nd England Bobby Charlton England Manchester United 53
3rd Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dragan Džajić Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Red Star Belgrade 46
1969 1st Italy Gianni Rivera Italy Milan 83
2nd Italy Gigi Riva Italy Cagliari 79
3rd West Germany Gerd Müller West Germany Bayern Munich 38
1970 1st West Germany Gerd Müller West Germany Bayern Munich 77
2nd England Bobby Moore England West Ham United 70
3rd Italy Gigi Riva Italy Cagliari 65
1971 1st Netherlands Johan Cruyff Netherlands Ajax 116
2nd Italy Sandro Mazzola Italy Internazionale 57
3rd Northern Ireland George Best England Manchester United 56
1972 1st West Germany Franz Beckenbauer West Germany Bayern Munich 81
2nd West Germany Gerd Müller West Germany Bayern Munich 79
West Germany Günter Netzer West Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach
1973 1st Netherlands Johan Cruyff Spain Barcelona 96
2nd Italy Dino Zoff Italy Juventus 47
3rd West Germany Gerd Müller West Germany Bayern Munich 44
1974 1st Netherlands Johan Cruyff Spain Barcelona 116
2nd West Germany Franz Beckenbauer West Germany Bayern Munich 105
3rd Poland Kazimierz Deyna Poland Legia Warsaw 35
1975 1st Soviet Union Oleg Blokhin Soviet Union Dynamo Kyiv 122
2nd West Germany Franz Beckenbauer West Germany Bayern Munich 42
3rd Netherlands Johan Cruyff Spain Barcelona 27
1976 1st West Germany Franz Beckenbauer West Germany Bayern Munich 91
2nd Netherlands Rob Rensenbrink Belgium Anderlecht 75
3rd Czechoslovakia Ivo Viktor Czechoslovakia Dukla Prague 52
1977 1st Denmark Allan Simonsen West Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach 74
2nd England Kevin Keegan West Germany Hamburger SV 71
3rd France Michel Platini France Nancy 70
1978 1st England Kevin Keegan West Germany Hamburger SV 87
2nd Austria Hans Krankl Spain Barcelona 81
3rd Netherlands Rob Rensenbrink Belgium Anderlecht 50
1979 1st England Kevin Keegan West Germany Hamburger SV 118
2nd West Germany Karl-Heinz Rummenigge West Germany Bayern Munich 52
3rd Netherlands Ruud Krol Netherlands Ajax 41
1980 1st West Germany Karl-Heinz Rummenigge West Germany Bayern Munich 122
2nd West Germany Bernd Schuster Spain Barcelona 34
3rd France Michel Platini France Saint-Étienne 33
1981 1st West Germany Karl-Heinz Rummenigge West Germany Bayern Munich 106
2nd West Germany Paul Breitner West Germany Bayern Munich 64
3rd West Germany Bernd Schuster Spain Barcelona 39
1982 1st Italy Paolo Rossi Italy Juventus 115
2nd France Alain Giresse France Girondins de Bordeaux 64
3rd Poland Zbigniew Boniek Italy Juventus 39
1983 1st France Michel Platini Italy Juventus 110
2nd Scotland Kenny Dalglish England Liverpool 26
3rd Denmark Allan Simonsen Denmark Vejle BK 25
1984 1st France Michel Platini Italy Juventus 110
2nd France Jean Tigana France Girondins de Bordeaux 57
3rd Denmark Preben Elkjær Italy Hellas Verona 48
1985 1st France Michel Platini Italy Juventus 127
2nd Denmark Preben Elkjær Italy Hellas Verona 71
3rd West Germany Bernd Schuster Spain Barcelona 46
1986 1st Soviet Union Igor Belanov Soviet Union Dynamo Kyiv 84
2nd England Gary Lineker Spain Barcelona 62
3rd Spain Emilio Butragueño Spain Real Madrid 59
1987 1st Netherlands Ruud Gullit Italy Milan 106
2nd Portugal Paulo Futre Spain Atlético Madrid 91
3rd Spain Emilio Butragueño Spain Real Madrid 61
1988 1st Netherlands Marco van Basten Italy Milan 129
2nd Netherlands Ruud Gullit Italy Milan 88
3rd Netherlands Frank Rijkaard Italy Milan 45
1989 1st Netherlands Marco van Basten Italy Milan 129
2nd Italy Franco Baresi Italy Milan 80
3rd Netherlands Frank Rijkaard Italy Milan 43
1990 1st Germany Lothar Matthäus Italy Internazionale 137
2nd Italy Salvatore Schillaci Italy Juventus 84
3rd Germany Andreas Brehme Italy Internazionale 68
1991 1st France Jean-Pierre Papin France Marseille 141
2nd Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dejan Savićević Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Red Star Belgrade 42
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Darko Pančev Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Red Star Belgrade
Germany Lothar Matthäus Italy Internazionale
1992 1st Netherlands Marco van Basten Italy Milan 98
2nd Bulgaria Hristo Stoichkov Spain Barcelona 80
3rd Netherlands Dennis Bergkamp Netherlands Ajax 53
1993 1st Italy Roberto Baggio Italy Juventus 142
2nd Netherlands Dennis Bergkamp Italy Internazionale 83
3rd France Eric Cantona England Manchester United 34
1994 1st Bulgaria Hristo Stoichkov Spain Barcelona 210
2nd Italy Roberto Baggio Italy Juventus 136
3rd Italy Paolo Maldini Italy Milan 109
1995 1st Liberia George Weah Italy Milan 144
2nd Germany Jürgen Klinsmann Germany Bayern Munich 108
3rd Finland Jari Litmanen Netherlands Ajax 67
1996 1st Germany Matthias Sammer Germany Borussia Dortmund 144
2nd Brazil Ronaldo Spain Barcelona 143
3rd England Alan Shearer England Newcastle United 107
1997 1st Brazil Ronaldo Italy Internazionale 222
2nd Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Predrag Mijatović Spain Real Madrid 68
3rd France Zinedine Zidane Italy Juventus 63
1998 1st France Zinedine Zidane Italy Juventus 244
2nd Croatia Davor Šuker Spain Real Madrid 68
3rd Brazil Ronaldo Italy Internazionale 66
1999 1st Brazil Rivaldo Spain Barcelona 219
2nd England David Beckham England Manchester United 154
3rd Ukraine Andriy Shevchenko Italy Milan 64
2000 1st Portugal Luís Figo Spain Real Madrid 197
2nd France Zinedine Zidane Italy Juventus 181
3rd Ukraine Andriy Shevchenko Italy Milan 85
2001 1st England Michael Owen England Liverpool 176
2nd Spain Raúl Spain Real Madrid 140
3rd Germany Oliver Kahn Germany Bayern Munich 114
2002 1st Brazil Ronaldo Spain Real Madrid 169
2nd Brazil Roberto Carlos Spain Real Madrid 145
3rd Germany Oliver Kahn Germany Bayern Munich 110
2003 1st Czech Republic Pavel Nedvěd Italy Juventus 190
2nd France Thierry Henry England Arsenal 128
3rd Italy Paolo Maldini Italy Milan 123
2004 1st Ukraine Andriy Shevchenko Italy Milan 175
2nd Portugal Deco Spain Barcelona 139
3rd Brazil Ronaldinho Spain Barcelona 133
2005 1st Brazil Ronaldinho Spain Barcelona 225
2nd England Frank Lampard England Chelsea 148
3rd England Steven Gerrard England Liverpool 142
2006 1st Italy Fabio Cannavaro Spain Real Madrid 173
2nd Italy Gianluigi Buffon Italy Juventus 124
3rd France Thierry Henry England Arsenal 121
2007 1st Brazil Kaká Italy Milan 444
2nd Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo England Manchester United 277
3rd Argentina Lionel Messi Spain Barcelona 255
2008 1st Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo England Manchester United 446
2nd Argentina Lionel Messi Spain Barcelona 281
3rd Spain Fernando Torres England Liverpool 179
2009 1st Argentina Lionel Messi Spain Barcelona 473
2nd Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo Spain Real Madrid 233
3rd Spain Xavi Spain Barcelona 170
FIFA Ballon d’Or (2010–2015)
2010 1st Argentina Lionel Messi Spain Barcelona 22.65%
2nd Spain Andrés Iniesta Spain Barcelona 17.36%
3rd Spain Xavi Spain Barcelona 16.48%
2011 1st Argentina Lionel Messi Spain Barcelona 47.88%
2nd Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo Spain Real Madrid 21.60%
3rd Spain Xavi Spain Barcelona 9.23%
2012 1st Argentina Lionel Messi Spain Barcelona 41.60%
2nd Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo Spain Real Madrid 23.68%
3rd Spain Andrés Iniesta Spain Barcelona 10.91%
2013 1st Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo Spain Real Madrid 27.99%
2nd Argentina Lionel Messi Spain Barcelona 24.72%
3rd France Franck Ribéry Germany Bayern Munich 23.36%
2014 1st Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo Spain Real Madrid 37.66%
2nd Argentina Lionel Messi Spain Barcelona 15.76%
3rd Germany Manuel Neuer Germany Bayern Munich 15.72%
2015 1st Argentina Lionel Messi Spain Barcelona 41.33%
2nd Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo Spain Real Madrid 27.76%
3rd Brazil Neymar Spain Barcelona 7.86%
Ballon d’Or (2016–present)
2016 1st Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo Spain Real Madrid 745
2nd Argentina Lionel Messi Spain Barcelona 316
3rd France Antoine Griezmann Spain Atlético Madrid 198
2017 1st Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo Spain Real Madrid 946
2nd Argentina Lionel Messi Spain Barcelona 670
3rd Brazil Neymar France Paris Saint-Germain 361
2018 1st Croatia Luka Modrić Spain Real Madrid 753
2nd Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo Italy Juventus 476
3rd France Antoine Griezmann Spain Atlético Madrid 414
2019 1st Argentina Lionel Messi Spain Barcelona 686
2nd Netherlands Virgil van Dijk England Liverpool 679
3rd Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo Italy Juventus 476
2020 Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 1st Argentina Lionel Messi France Paris Saint-Germain 613
2nd Poland Robert Lewandowski Germany Bayern Munich 580
3rd Italy Jorginho England Chelsea 460
2022 1st France Karim Benzema Spain Real Madrid 549
2nd Senegal Sadio Mané England Liverpool 193
3rd Belgium Kevin De Bruyne England 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
Spain Barcelona 6 12
Spain Real Madrid 7 11
Italy Juventus 6 8
Italy Milan 6 8
Germany Bayern Munich 3 5
England Manchester United 4 4
Ukraine Dynamo Kyiv 2 2
Italy Internazionale 2 2
Germany Hamburger SV 1 2
Netherlands Ajax 1 1
Portugal Benfica 1 1
England Blackpool 1 1
Germany Borussia Dortmund 1 1
Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach 1 1
Czech Republic Dukla Prague 1 1
Russia Dynamo Moscow 1 1
Hungary Ferencváros 1 1
England Liverpool 1 1
France Marseille 1 1
France Paris Saint-Germain 1 1

Additional awards

An honorary award, under the name Super Ballon d’Or, was awarded to Alfredo Di Stéfano in 1989, after he surpassed Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini in France Football’s voting.

A decade later, France Football elected Pelé the Football Player of the Century after consulting their former Ballon d’Or recipients. Among the 34 previous winners, 30 cast their votes; Stanley Matthews, Omar Sívori and George Best abstained, and Lev Yashin had died. Each voter was allotted five votes worth up to five points; however, Di Stéfano only chose a first place, Platini a first and second place, and George Weah two players for fifth place. Pelé was named the greatest by 17 voters, receiving almost double the number of points earned by the runner-up, Diego Maradona.

To coincide with the 60th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or in 2016, France Football published a reevaluation of the awards presented before 1995, when only European players were eligible to win the award. 12 out of the 39 Ballons d’Or presented during this time period would have been awarded to South American players; in addition to Pelé and Diego Maradona, Garrincha, Mario Kempes, and Romário were retrospectively recognized as worthy winners. The original recipients, however, remain unchanged.

Maradona and Pelé also received honorary Ballons d’Ors for their services to football in 1995 and 2013, respectively.

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