Widely regarded as the most prized individual accolade in world football, the Ballon d'Or has celebrated the sport's finest talents for nearly seven decades.
Presented annually by the French magazine France Football, the award honors the standout player of the season based on individual brilliance, team achievements, elite talent, and exemplary sportsmanship.
Harry Kane lifted the Ballon d'Or trophy in 2026, making him the fifth English player in history to win the prestigious award.
Lionel Messi is widely regarded as the greatest player in the sports history, and that is backed up by his record of eight Ballon d'Or trophies.
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What players have won the most Ballon d'Or trophies?
Only a select group of legends have lifted the Golden Ball on multiple occasions:
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
What country has produced the most Ballon d'Or winners?
Argentina (8)
France (8)
Germany (7)
Netherlands (7)
Portugal (7)
England (6)
Italy (5)
Brazil (5)
Spain (4)
Soviet Union (3)
Argentina is one of the most decorated nations in Ballon d'Or history and they have Lionel Messi to thank for their position at the summit. The Inter Miami star has won a record eight Ballons d'Or awards during his career, three more than the next best Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi's successes means Argentina are level at the top with France on eight wins, although Les Bleus have had six different winners compared to Argentina's one.
Raymond Kopa was the first Frenchman to receive the prestigious prize in 1958 and he's since been accompanied by compatriots and three-time winner Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane, Karim Benzema and Ousmane Dembele.
*Wins are attributed to the country represented at the time, including historical nations. Ties ordered by most recent win.
Ballon d'Or History
Conceived by French sportswriter Gabriel Hanot, the Ballon d'Or was first awarded in 1956 to Blackpool and England star Stanley Matthews, who pipped Real Madrid duo Alfredo Di Stefano and Raymond Kopa to the prize.
Initially seen as an award for just European players, the criteria was extended to include players from all over the world playing in Europe in 1995, with George Weah becoming the first player from outside the continent to pick up the trophy that same year.
The award then became a truly global prize in 2007, with all professional footballers from around the world being considered eligible.
The Ballon d'Or Feminin, or as it is more commonly known the Women's Ballon d'Or, was established in 2018, with Ada Hegerberg having claimed the inaugural prize.
What is the Kopa Trophy?
The Kopa Trophy - awarded to the best player in the world under the age of 21 - was first handed out at the 2018 Ballon d'Or ceremony, with Frenchman Kylian Mbappe receiving the prize.
Since then, Matthijs De Ligt, Pedri, Gavi and Jude Bellingham have all won the Kopa Trophy, before Lamine Yamal became the first player to receive the award back-to-back at the 2024 and 2025 Ballon d'Or awards.
Yamal then became a three-time victor in 2026 as he pipped his Barcelona team-mate Pau Cubarsi to the award.
What is the Yashin Trophy?
The Yashin Trophy recognises the best goalkeeper of the year at the Ballon d'Or awards, with Brazilian Alisson Becker the first winner in 2019.
Emiliano Martínez claimed the trophy for the first time in 2023, before winning his second consecutive honour in 2024.
2025 was the turn of Gianluigi Donnarumma after his starring role in Paris Saint-Germain's Treble, and 2026 belonged to Spain's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Unai Simon.
All-Time Ballon d'Or Winners
Year | Player | Nationality | Club |
2026 | Harry Kane | England | Bayern Munich |
2025 | Ousmane Dembele | France | Paris Saint-Germain |
2024 | Rodri | Spain | Manchester City |
2023 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Inter Miami |
2022 | Karim Benzema | France | Real Madrid |
2021 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Paris Saint-Germain |
2020 | Not Awarded | ||
2019 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona |
2018 | Luka Modric | Croatia | Real Madrid |
2017 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Real Madrid |
2016 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Real Madrid |
2015 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona |
2014 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Real Madrid |
2013 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Real Madrid |
2012 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona |
2011 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona |
2010 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona |
2009 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona |
2008 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Manchester United |
2007 | Kaka | Brazil | Milan |
2006 | Fabio Cannavaro | Italy | Real Madrid |
2005 | Ronaldinho | Brazil | Real Madrid |
2004 | Andriy Shevchenko | Ukraine | Milan |
2003 | Pavel Nedved | Czechia | Juventus |
2002 | Ronaldo | Brazil | Real Madrid |
2001 | Michael Owen | England | Liverpool |
2000 | Luis Figo | Portugal | Real Madrid |
1999 | Rivaldo | Brazil | Barcelona |
1998 | Zinedine Zidane | France | Juventus |
1997 | Ronaldo | Brazil | Internazionale |
1996 | Matthias Sammer | Germany | Borussia Dortmund |
1995 | George Weah | Liberia | Milan |
1994 | Hristo Stoichkov | Bulgaria | Barcelona |
1993 | Roberto Baggio | Italy | Juventus |
1992 | Marco van Basten | Netherlands | Milan |
1991 | Jean-Pierre Papin | France | Marseille |
1990 | Lothar Matthaus | Germany | Internazionale |
1989 | Marco van Basten | Netherlands | Milan |
1988 | Marco van Basten | Netherlands | Milan |
1987 | Ruud Gullit | Netherlands | Milan |
1986 | Igor Belanov | Soviet Union | Dynamo Kyiv |
1985 | Michael Platini | France | Juventus |
1984 | Michael Platini | France | Juventus |
1983 | Michael 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 |
1978 | Kevin Keegan | England | Hamburg |
1977 | Allan Simonsen | Denmark | Borussia Monchengladbach |
1976 | Franz Beckenbauer | West Germany | Bayern Munich |
1975 | Oleg Blokhin | Soviet Union | Dynamo Kyiv |
1974 | Johan Cruyff | Netherlands | Barcelona |
1973 | Johan Cruyff | Netherlands | Barcelona |
1972 | Franz Beckenbauer | West Germany | Bayern Munich |
1971 | Johan Cruyff | Netherlands | Ajax |
1970 | Gerd Muller | West Germany | Bayern Munich |
1969 | Gianni Rivera | Italy | Milan |
1968 | George Best | Northern Ireland | Manchester United |
1967 | Florian Albert | Hungary | Ferencv rosi TC |
1966 | Bobby Charlton | England | Manchester United |
1965 | Eusebio | Portugal | Benfica |
1964 | Denis Law | Scotland | Manchester united |
1963 | Lev Yashin | Soviet Union | Dynamo Moscow |
1962 | Josef Masopust | Czechoslovakia | Dulka Prague |
1961 | Omar Sivori | Italy | Jusventus |
1960 | Luis Suarez | Spain | Barcelona |
1959 | Alfredo Di Stefano | Spain | Real Madrid |
1958 | Raymond Kopa | France | Real Madrid |
1957 | Alfredo Di Stefano | Spain | Real Madrid |
1956 | Stanley Matthews | England | Blackpool |
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