Ballon d’Or: The list of winners by year

Friday 11th October 2024 02:20 AM

While the 2024 Ballon d’Or will be awarded on October 28, 2024, we take a look back at the list of the most prestigious individual trophies. A story made up of 67 ceremonies for 45 winners and 4 different winners.

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Who from Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham or even Rodri will succeed Lionel Messi, winner of the 2023 Ballon d’Or? The big winner of the 2024 edition will be crowned on October 28. An already historic year since it will be without Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi in the list of nominees, a first since 2003. A look back at the history of the Ballon d’Or and its 67 previous ceremonies.

Lionel Messi: A historic big 8

Impossible to approach the Ballon d’Or without mentioning Lionel Messi as the “Pulga” has such records. It was in 2009 that the Argentinian won his first Ballon d’Or, at the age of 22. A quickly uncontested start since he also won the 2010, 2011 and 2012 editions, signing the first quadruplet in the history of the prize.

After two seasons away from him, the trophy returned to him again in 2015, then in 2019, 2021 and 2023. Eight Ballon d’Or for one and the same player, an undisputed record. He also holds the record for the number of consecutive podiums (11, between 2007 and 2017) and the record for the total number of podiums (14 podiums).

Cristiano Ronaldo: The other sacred monster

The greatest duel of the early 21st century pitted Lionel Messi against Cristiano Ronaldo. And if the number of goals and collective trophies are arguments constantly used to compare them, the Ballon d’Or has long been the scene of this face-to-face. Because just behind the “Pulga”, Ronaldo has won this trophy 5 times.

The first came to him in 2008, when he was still playing for Manchester United. He then scored two doubles, this time in the colors of Real Madrid (2013-2014 then 2016-2017). Thanks to his extraordinary longevity, he is the player with the most nominations (18).

Michel Platini: The hat-trick of a century

In 1983, Michel Platini inaugurated a new chapter in the history of French football. While no Blue had won the Ballon d’Or since Raymond Kopa in 1958, the Juventus player came to put an end to a 25-year drought.

If his first season in Italy already allowed him to be rewarded, the following two would only be more successful on a collective level: Italian championship, Cup Winners’ Cup, UEFA Super Cup in 1984, the year during which he wore the France to the title of European champion. Then the Champion Clubs’ Cup and the Intercontinental Cup in 1985. Two seasons of glory which assured him two new Ballon d’Ors and therefore a hat-trick of consecutive titles, the first in history… the only one in French football. We would have to wait until 2011 and Lionel Messi to see a player sign such a performance again.

Johan Cruyff: The first double

Dutch legend, Johan Cruyff won his first Ballon d’Or in 1971, the year in which he lifted the Dutch Cup and especially the Champion Clubs’ Cup. After a year without, he regained the supreme individual title in 1973, when his Ajax had just won their 3rd European Champion Clubs’ Cup.

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Disappointed finalist of the 1974 World Cup with the Netherlands (1-2 against West Germany), he retained his trophy and became the first player to win two consecutive Ballon d’Ors.

Marco van Basten: Gold or nothing

Strong man of the great AC Milan, which placed 3 of its players on all steps of the podium in 1988 and 1989, Marco van Basten won the trophy during these two 100% Rossoneri seasons. He won the Ballon d’Or again in 1992 for the third time.

He remains, among all the players rewarded several times, the only one to have only reached the first place on the podium. For comparison, Ronaldo failed 6th time in 2nd position and 1 time in 3rd. Messi finished 5 times in 2nd and 1 time in 3rd.

Kopa, Zidane, Papin, Benzema… France has its winners

Led by a Raymond Kopa who has just arrived at Real Madrid, France quickly established itself on the Ballon d’Or podium. Third in the 1956 and 1957 editions, the Stade de Reims legend won the trophy in 1958, a first for a Frenchman! If Just Fontaine got on the podium the same year (3rd), the names from France then moved away from the trophy for 20 years. It was not until the emergence of Michel Platini to return to the top, with a hat-trick between 1983 and 1985.

The following decade, it was Jean-Pierre Papin who, in 1991 and after a defeat in the final of the Champion Clubs’ Cup (Marseille 0-0, 3-5 tab, Red Star of Belgrade), also climbed to the highest step of the podium. Hero of the 1998 World Cup won by the Blues, Zinédine Zidane in turn lifts the Ballon d’Or.

In the 21st century, Karim Benzema is the only Frenchman to have won this trophy. It was 2022, when he was the face of a stunning Real Madrid and European champions.

Behind these names, other French people have climbed onto the Ballon d’Or podium without winning: Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann, Franck Ribéry, Thierry Henry, Éric Cantona, Jean Tigana, Alain Giresse and Just Fontaine.

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The complete Ballon d’or prize list, since 1956

2023: Lionel Messi (Argentina – Paris SG and Inter Miami)
2022 : Karim Benzema (France – Real Madrid)
2021: Lionel Messi (Argentina – FC Barcelona and Paris SG)
2020 : Not allocated due to the Covid-19 pandemic
2019 : Lionel Messi (Argentina – FC Barcelona)
2018 : Luka Modric (Croatia – Real Madrid)
2017: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal- Real Madrid)
2016: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal – Real Madrid)
2015 : Lionel Messi (Argentina – FC Barcelona)
2014: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal – Real Madrid)
2013: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal – Real Madrid)
2012 : Lionel Messi (Argentina – FC Barcelona)
2011 : Lionel Messi (Argentina – FC Barcelona)
2010 : Lionel Messi (Argentina – FC Barcelona)
2009 : Lionel Messi (Argentina – FC Barcelona)
2008 : Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal – Manchester United)
2007 : Kaka (Brazil – AC Milan)
2006: Fabio Cannavaro (Italy – Juventus and Real Madrid)
2005 : Ronaldinho (Brazil – FC Barcelona)
2004: Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine – AC Milan)
2003 : Pavel Nedvěd (Tcheque Republic – Juventus)
2002: Ronaldo (Brazil – Inter Milan and Real Madrid)
2001: Michael Owen (Angleterre – Liverpool)
2000: Luís Figo (Portugal – FC Barcelone et Real Madrid)
1999 : Rivaldo (Brazil – FC Barcelona)
1998 : Zinedine Zidane (France – Juventus)
1997: Ronaldo (Brazil – FC Barcelona and Inter Milan)
1996 : Matthias Sammer (Allemagne – Borussia Dortmund)
1995: George Weah (Libéria – Paris SG et AC Milan)
1994 : Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria – FC Barcelona)
1993 : Roberto Baggio (Italy – Juventus)
1992 : Marco van Basten (Pays-Bas – AC Milan)
1991 : Jean-Pierre Papin (France – Olympique de Marseille)
1990: Lothar Matthäus (Germany – Inter Milan)
1989: Marco van Basten (Pays-Bas – AC Milan)
1988 : Marco van Basten (Pays-Bas – AC Milan)
1987: Ruud Gullit (Netherlands – PSV Eindhoven and AC Milan)
1986: Igor Belanov (Soviet Union – Dynamo Kiev)
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 SV)
1978: Kevin Keegan (England – Hamburg SV)
1977 : Allan Simonsen (Denmark – Borussia Mönchengladbach)
1976: Franz Beckenbauer (Allemagne de l’Ouest – Bayern Munich)
1975: Oleg Blokhin (Soviet Union – Dynamo Kiev)
1974 : Johan Cruyff (Pays-Bas – FC Barcelone)
1973: Johan Cruyff (Pays-Bas – Ajax Amsterdam and FC Barcelone)
1972: Franz Beckenbauer (Allemagne de l’Ouest – Bayern Munich)
1971 : Johan Cruyff (Pays-Bas – Ajax Amsterdam)
1970: Gerd Müller (West Germany – Bayern Munich)
1969 : Gianni Rivera (Italy – AC Milan)
1968 : George Best (Northern Ireland – Manchester United)
1967 : Albert Flórián (Hungary – Ferencváros)
1966 : Bobby Charlton (Angleterre – Manchester United)
1965: Eusébio (Portugal – Benfica Lisbonne)
1964: Denis Law (Scotland – Manchester United)
1963: Lev Yashin (Soviet Union – Dynamo Moscow)
1962: Josef Masopust (Czech Republic – Dukla Prague)
1961: Omar Sívori (Italie – Juventus)
1960 : Luis Suárez (Espagne – FC Barcelona)
1959 : Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentine – Real Madrid)
1958 : Raymond Kopa (France- Real Madrid)
1957 : Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentine – Real Madrid)
1956 : Stanley Matthews (Angleterre – Blackpool FC)

The women’s Ballon d’Or winners, since 2018

2023: Aitana Bonmatí (Spain – FC Barcelona)
2022 : Alexia Putellas (Spain – FC Barcelona)
2021 : Alexia Putellas (Spain – FC Barcelona)
2020 : Not allocated due to the Covid-19 pandemic
2019 : Megan Rapinoe (USA – Reign FC)
2018: Ada Hegerberg (Norway – Olympique Lyonnais)