Ballon d'Or Winners

The Ballon d'Or is football's most coveted individual award, presented annually since 1956 by France Football magazine. Originally restricted to European players, it was opened to players worldwide in 1995, and was briefly merged with FIFA's World Player of the Year award from 2010 to 2015. The award recognizes the player judged to have performed the best over the previous season, as voted by international journalists. Lionel Messi holds the all-time record with eight Ballon d'Or awards, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five. The only goalkeeper to ever win the award was Lev Yashin in 1963, while the only defender to win it was Fabio Cannavaro in 2006.

The award's history mirrors the evolution of football itself. The early decades celebrated European maestros like Di Stéfano, Cruyff, and Beckenbauer. The 1990s saw a broadening as South American and African stars — Ronaldo, Rivaldo, George Weah — began claiming the prize. The 2010s became the era of the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly, with the two splitting ten awards between 2008 and 2017. The 2020 award was not given due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, Rodri of Manchester City and Spain became the latest winner, recognized for his instrumental role in City's treble and Spain's Euro 2024 triumph. Below is the complete list of every Ballon d'Or winner.