Advertisement
X

Ballon d'Or Award: List Of All Previous Winners From Stanley Matthews To Lionel Messi

The award, conceived by former French footballer and journalist Gabriel Hanot, was initially intended to recognize only European players at European clubs

Photo: X | Ruben

Established by France Football magazine, the Ballon d’Or is recognized as the highest individual honour in global football. Since its inception in 1956, this annual award has spotlighted exceptional talent, crowning the player whose performances consistently stand out on the world stage. (More Football News)

The award, conceived by former French footballer and journalist Gabriel Hanot, was initially intended to recognize only European players at European clubs. It was later redefined to become a global accolade, with Liberian George Weah breaking barriers as the first non-European winner in 1995. Today, eligibility for the Ballon d’Or is open to players from every continent.

Brazilian star Ronaldo won the award in 1997, setting a new precedent as the first South American recipient. The shift toward inclusivity continued, and by 2007, players worldwide were fully eligible to contend for the honour.

FIFA and France Football previously merged the Ballon d'Or with the FIFA World Player of the Year award to create the FIFA Ballon d'Or from 2010 to 2015. FIFA then reverted to its own award, The Best FIFA Men's Player, in 2016.

In 2018, a historic addition marked a new chapter: the Ballon d’Or Feminin, honouring the top female footballer in the world. Norway's Ada Hegerberg became the first woman to receive this accolade after an outstanding season with Olympique Lyonnais.

Lionel Messi has set a staggering benchmark with eight Ballon d’Or wins, his latest triumph in 2023 adding to a list that began in 2009. Between them, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the award for over a decade, clinching 13 titles combined since 2008.

However, 2024 brings a fresh narrative, as neither Messi nor Ronaldo is in contention, marking the first time since 2003 that both are absent from the shortlist.

The Ballon d’Or has only missed one presentation in its 68-year history. The award was paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Anticipation now builds for the 2024 ceremony, as a new era beckons. This year’s shortlist features an array of emerging talent and seasoned stars.

Let's take a look at all the previous winners of the Ballon d'Or award

YearPlayerNationalityClub
2024Not DecidedNot DecidedNot Decided
2023Lionel MessiArgentinaInter Miami
2022Karim BenzemaFranceReal Madrid
2021Lionel MessiArgentinaParis Saint-Germain F.C.
2020not awarded
2019Lionel MessiArgentinaBarcelona
2018Luka ModricCroatiaReal Madrid
2017Cristiano RonaldoPortugalReal Madrid
2016Cristiano RonaldoPortugalReal Madrid
2015Lionel MessiArgentinaBarcelona
2014Cristiano RonaldoPortugalReal Madrid
2013Cristiano RonaldoPortugalReal Madrid
2012Lionel MessiArgentinaBarcelona
2011Lionel MessiArgentinaBarcelona
2010Lionel MessiArgentinaBarcelona
2009Lionel MessiArgentinaBarcelona
2008Cristiano RonaldoPortugalManchester United
2007KakaBrazilMilan
2006Fabio CannavaroItalyReal Madrid
2005RonaldinhoBrazilBarcelona
2004Andriy ShevchenkoUkraineMilan
2003Pavel NedvedCzechiaJuventus
2002RonaldoBrazilReal Madrid
2001Michael OwenEnglandLiverpool
2000Luis FigoPortugalReal Madrid
1999RivaldoBrazilBarcelona
1998Zinedine ZidaneFranceJuventus
1997RonaldoBrazilInternazionale
1996Matthias SammerGermanyBorussia Dortmund
1995George WeahLiberiaMilan
1994Hristo StoichkovBulgariaBarcelona
1993Roberto BaggioItalyJuventus
1992Marco van BastenNetherlandsMilan
1991Jean-Pierre PapinFranceMarseille
1990Lothar MatthausGermanyInternazionale
1989Marco van BastenNetherlandsMilan
1988Marco van BastenNetherlandsMilan
1987Ruud GullitNetherlandsMilan
1986Igor BelanovSoviet UnionDynamo Kyiv
1985Michel PlatiniFranceJuventus
1984Michel PlatiniFranceJuventus
1983Michel PlatiniFranceJuventus
1982Paolo RossiItalyJuventus
1981Karl-Heinz RummeniggeWest GermanyBayern Munich
1980Karl-Heinz RummeniggeWest GermanyBayern Munich
1979Kevin KeeganEnglandHamburg
1978Kevin KeeganEnglandHamburg
1977Allan SimonsenDenmarkBorussia Monchengladbach
1976Franz BeckenbauerWest GermanyBayern Munich
1975Oleg BlokhinSoviet UnionDynamo Kyiv
1974Johan CruyffNetherlandsBarcelona
1973Johan CruyffNetherlandsBarcelona
1972Franz BeckenbauerWest GermanyBayern Munich
1971Johan CruyffNetherlandsAjax
1970Gerd MullerWest GermanyBayern Munich
1969Gianni RiveraItalyMilan
1968George BestNorthern IrelandManchester United
1967Florian AlbertHungaryFerencvarosi TC
1966Bobby CharltonEnglandManchester United
1965EusebioPortugalBenfica
1964Denis LawScotlandManchester United
1963Lev YashinSoviet UnionDynamo Moscow
1962Josef MasopustCzechoslovakiaDukla Prague
1961Omar SivoriItalyJuventus
1960Luis SuarezSpainBarcelona
1959Alfredo Di StefanoArgentina / SpainReal Madrid
1958Raymond KopaFranceReal Madrid
1957Alfredo Di StefanoArgentina / SpainReal Madrid
1956Stanley MatthewsEnglandBlackpool

The award is voted on by journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings. Each journalist, one from each country, selects 10 players in ranked order and allocates points based on their positions. The player with the highest total points is declared the winner.

Advertisement
Show comments
US