All the winners of Ballon d’Or from 1956 to 2023

The Ballon d'Or is an annual football award presented by France Football. It has been awarded since 1956 and is considered one of the most prestigious individual awards in the sport. The award is given to the best-performing male footballer in the world over the previous calendar year.

The voting is conducted by a panel of international journalists who select their top five players based on individual and team performances. Each journalist's top pick receives six points, the second receives four points, the third receives three points, the fourth receives two points, and the fifth receives one point. The player with the highest total points is awarded the Ballon d'Or.

Over the years, the Ballon d'Or has been won by some of the greatest footballers in history, including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Michel Platini. The award ceremony is typically held in December, and the winner is revealed during a gala event.

Ever wondered who won the Ballon d’Or in a specific year? Then see the full list of winners below. 

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 (Paris Saint-Germain)

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 due to the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 - Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)

2022 – Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

2023 – Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)

A few notes about the players

• Stanley Matthews (1956): English winger known for outstanding dribbling skills, winning the inaugural Ballon d'Or at the age of 41 while playing for Blackpool.
• Alfredo Di Stefano (1957, 1959): Argentine forward who played a vital role in Real Madrid's dominance during the late 1950s and early 1960s, showcasing versatility and goal-scoring prowess.
• Raymond Kopa (1958): French attacking midfielder celebrated for his contributions to Stade Reims and Real Madrid, instrumental in three European Cup victories with the latter.
• Luis Suarez (1960): Spanish attacking midfielder known for vision and passing skills, with successful spells at Barcelona and Inter Milan.
• Omar Sivori (1961): Argentine forward with skill and prolific goal-scoring ability, particularly noted for his partnership with John Charles at Juventus.
• Josef Masopust (1962): Czechoslovak midfielder remembered for his playmaking abilities, reaching the World Cup final in 1962 with Dukla Prague.
• Lev Yashin (1963): Soviet goalkeeper and the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or, acclaimed for his reflexes and shot-stopping prowess.
• Denis Law (1964): Scottish forward, prolific goal-scorer for Manchester United and Manchester City, pivotal in United's success during the 1960s.
• Eusebio (1965): Portuguese forward and one of football's greatest, known for his powerful shots and goal-scoring feats while playing for Benfica.
• Bobby Charlton (1966): English midfielder/forward, Manchester United legend, and key part of the 1966 World Cup-winning team.
• Florian Albert (1967): Hungarian forward who spent the majority of his career with Ferencvaros, known for his goal-scoring ability.
• George Best (1968): Northern Irish winger and forward, considered one of the greatest talents in football history, particularly for his dribbling skills.
• Gianni Rivera (1969): Italian midfielder, associated with AC Milan, known for his skillful playmaking, and captained Italy to victory in the 1968 European Championship.
• Gerd Muller (1970): German striker, prolific goal-scorer for Bayern Munich, contributed to their domestic and international successes, including the 1974 World Cup.
• Johan Cruyff (1971, 1973, 1974): Dutch forward and playmaker, influential in Ajax's three consecutive European Cup victories and later brought the total football philosophy to Barcelona.
• Franz Beckenbauer (1972, 1976): German sweeper and one of the best defenders in history, played a crucial role in Bayern Munich's and West Germany's successes, including the 1974 World Cup.
• Oleg Blokhin (1975): Ukrainian forward known for his goal-scoring prowess at Dynamo Kyiv, and captained the Soviet national team.
• Kevin Keegan (1978, 1979): English forward known for his work rate and leadership, achieved success with Hamburg, also played for Liverpool.
• Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (1980, 1981): German forward who played for Bayern Munich, instrumental in their success, later became a football administrator.
• Paolo Rossi (1982): Italian striker remembered for his heroics in the 1982 World Cup, playing for clubs including Juventus and AC Milan.
• Michel Platini (1983, 1984, 1985): French midfielder and playmaker, dominated European football with Juventus, winning multiple Serie A titles and the European Cup.
• Igor Belanov (1986): Ukrainian forward who played for Dynamo Kyiv, won the Ballon d'Or after a remarkable season.
• Ruud Gullit (1987): Dutch midfielder/forward who achieved success with AC Milan, helping them win Serie A and the European Cup.
• Marco van Basten (1988, 1989, 1992): Dutch striker and one of the greatest forwards, excelled at AC Milan, known for incredible goalscoring ability.
• Lothar Matthaus (1990): German midfielder/defender, captained West Germany to victory in the 1990 World Cup, successful career with Bayern Munich and Internazionale.
• Jean-Pierre Papin (1991): French striker who achieved success with Olympique de Marseille, known for his goal-scoring prowess.
• Roberto Baggio (1993): Italian forward and playmaker, played for top clubs including Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan.
• Hristo Stoichkov (1994): Bulgarian forward who played for Barcelona during their 'Dream Team' era, known for his skill and goal-scoring ability.
• George Weah (1995): Liberian striker, the only African player to win the Ballon d'Or, played for AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.
• Matthias Sammer (1996): German midfielder/defender, won the Ballon d'Or after captaining Germany to victory in the 1996 UEFA European Championship.
• Ronaldo (1997, 2002): Brazilian striker, one of the greatest goal-scorers, played for Barcelona, Inter Milan, and won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002.
• Zinedine Zidane (1998): French midfielder and playmaker, known for elegance and skill on the ball, played for clubs like Juventus and Real Madrid.
• Rivaldo (1999): Brazilian forward known for flair and spectacular goals, achieved success with Barcelona.
• Luis Figo (2000): Portuguese winger and playmaker, played for Barcelona and Real Madrid, known for dribbling ability.
• Michael Owen (2001): English striker known for pace and goal-scoring ability, played for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, and Manchester United.
• Pavel Nedved (2003): Czech midfielder known for work rate and technical ability, achieved success with Lazio and Juventus.
• Andriy Shevchenko (2004): Ukrainian striker who played for AC Milan, known for clinical finishing.
• Ronaldinho (2005): Brazilian forward and playmaker, won the Ballon d'Or during his time at Barcelona.
• Fabio Cannavaro (2006): Italian defender, captained Italy to victory in the 2006 World Cup, played for clubs including Juventus and Real Madrid.
• Kaka (2007): Brazilian midfielder and playmaker, achieved success with AC Milan
• Cristiano Ronaldo (2008): Portuguese forward known for his athleticism, goal-scoring prowess, and versatility. Achieved success with Manchester United before joining Real Madrid.
• Lionel Messi (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015): Argentine forward, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. Led Barcelona to numerous domestic and international titles.
• Luka Modric (2018): Croatian midfielder known for his vision, passing, and playmaking abilities. Played a key role in Real Madrid's third consecutive UEFA Champions League victory in 2018
• The Ballon d'Or was cancelled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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