The Ballon d’Or, presented by the prestigious French magazine France Football, stands as one of the most coveted individual honors in the world of football. Since its inception in 1956, this award has been an annual tradition, celebrating excellence in the sport. It all began with England’s Stanley Matthews, who became the first-ever recipient of this distinguished accolade.
A Storied History
The Ballon d’Or has a rich history, highlighting the exceptional talents that have graced the footballing world over the years. It’s a showcase of the best of the best, and it has seen some legendary names etch their mark in the annals of the sport.
The Messi and Ronaldo Era
Over the past 15 years, the Ballon d’Or has been dominated by two giants of the game: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Between them, they have clinched the award a staggering 13 times. Messi secured his first Ballon d’Or 14 years ago, a mere five years into his senior professional career, marking the beginning of an era dominated by his extraordinary talent.
The Complete List of Men’s Ballon d’Or Winners
Here’s a comprehensive list of the Ballon d’Or winners, from its inception in 1956 up to the most recent recipient in 2022.
- 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 (AC Milan)
- 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
- 2021: Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
- 2022: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
The Anticipated 2023 Winner
As of now, the 2023 Ballon d’Or winner is yet to be announced. With a rich history of legendary recipients, the anticipation is building for the next football superstar to join this illustrious list of honorees.
The Ballon d’Or is not just an award; it’s a symbol of excellence and a testament to the remarkable talent that has graced the world of football.
