Next Monday (28), at the Théâtre du Châtelet, in Paris, the 68th edition of the Ballon d’Or. Created by the magazine France Footballthe traditional and renowned event awards the best player in the world of the season in question.
With eight Ballon d’Or wins, Lionel Messi is the biggest winner in the history of the award. The idol of Barcelona and from argentine national team is followed by Cristiano Ronaldowho has five trophies in his luggage.
Getting into the spirit of football’s main individual award, the Trivela separated the list of biggest Ballon d’Or winners. Check it out:
Biggest Ballon d’Or winners (men’s football)
- 8 Golden Balls: Lionel Messi
- 5 Golden Balls: Cristiano Ronaldo
- 3 Golden Balls: Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten
- 2 Golden Balls: Alfredo Di Stéfano, Franz Beckenbauer, Kevin Keegan, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge e Ronaldo
- 1 Ballon d’Or: Stanley Mathhews, Raymond Kopa, Luis Suárez, Omar Sivori, Josef Masopust, Lev Yashin, Denis Law, Eusébio, Bobby Charlton, Flórián Albert, George Best, Gianni Rivera, Gerd Müller, Oleg Blokhin, Allan Simonsen, Paolo Rossi, Igor Belanov, Ruud Gullit, Lothar Matthäus, Jean-Pierre Papin, Roberto Baggio, Hristo Stoichkov, George Weah, Matthias Sammer, Zinedine Zidane, RivaldoLuís Figo, Michael Owen, Pavel Nedved, Andriy Shevchenko, Ronaldinho GauchoFabio Cannavaro, KakaLuka Modric e Benzema
List of year-by-year winners (men’s football)
- 1956 – Stanley Matthews (Inglaterra)
- 1957 – Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina)
- 1958 – Raymond Kopa (France)
- 1959 – Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina)
- 1960 – Luis Suárez (Spain)
- 1961 – Omar Sivori (Argentina)
- 1962 – Josef Masopust (Czech Republic)
- 1963 – Lev Yashin (Russia)
- 1964 – Denis Law (Scotland)
- 1965 – Eusébio (Portugal)
- 1966 – Bobby Charlton (England)
- 1967 – Albert Flórián (Hungary)
- 1968 – George Best (England)
- 1969 – Gianni Rivera (Italy)
- 1970 – Gerd Müller (Germany)
- 1971 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
- 1972 – Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)
- 1973 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
- 1974 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
- 1975 – Oleg Blokhin (Ukraine)
- 1976 – Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)
- 1977 – Allan Simonsen (Denmark)
- 1978 – Kevin Keegan (England)
- 1979 – Kevin Keegan (England)
- 1980 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Germany)
- 1981 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Germany)
- 1982 – Paolo Rossi (Italy)
- 1983 – Michel Platini (France)
- 1984 – Michel Platini (France)
- 1985 – Michel Platini (France)
- 1986 – Igor Belanov (Ukraine)
- 1987 – Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)
- 1988 – Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
- 1989 – Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
- 1990 – Lothar Matthäus (Germany)
- 1991 – Jean-Pierre Papin (French)
- 1992 – Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
- 1993 – Roberto Baggio (Italy)
- 1994 – Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
- 1995 – George Weah (Liberia)
- 1996 – Matthias Sammer (Germany)
- 1997 – Ronaldo (Brazil)
- 1998 – Zinedine Zidane (France)
- 1999 – Rivaldo (Brazil)
- 2000 – Luís Figo (Portugal)
- 2001 – Michael Owen (England)
- 2002 – Ronaldo (Brazil)
- 2003 – Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic)
- 2004 – Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)
- 2005 – Ronaldinho Gaúcho (Brazil)
- 2006 – Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
- 2007 – Kaká (Brazil)
- 2008 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- 2009 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- 2010 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- 2011 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- 2012 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- 2013 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- 2014 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- 2015 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- 2016 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- 2017 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- 2018 – Luka Modric (Croatia)
- 2019 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- 2020 – There were no awards
- 2021 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- 2022 – Karin Benzema (French)
- 2023 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Historical reparation
Between 1956 and 1995, the Ballon d’Or was only awarded to players born in Europe. In 2015, however, the award underwent a kind of historical revisit.
A France Football reviewed the list of winners and recognized, for example, that Skin He would have been voted the best in the world on seven occasions: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964 and 1970. Maradona, Garrincha, Romário e Mario Kempes also received recognition.
- 7 Golden Balls: Pelé (1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964 and 1970)
- 2 Golden Balls: Maradona (1986 and 1990)
- 1 Ballon d’Or: Garrincha (1962), Mario Kempes (1978) and Romário (1994)
And the biggest Ballon d’Or winners in women’s football?
Since 2018, the Ballon d’Or France Football awards the best players in women’s football. Since then, four athletes have been awarded the trophy, with the Spanish Alexia Putellas the biggest winner, with two.
Compatriot of Putellas, Aitana Bonmatí won the cup in 2023 and is the current best in the world.
- 2018 – Ada Hegerberg (Norway)
- 2019 – Megan Rapinoe (United States)
- 2021 – Alexia Putellas (Spain)
- 2022 – Alexia Putellas (Spain)
- 2023 – Aitana Bonmatí (Spain)
