Ballon d’Or Winners List | All Winners 1956–2025

The Ballon d'Or award is like the MVP award in football, awarded every year by France Football based on the performance of the player and the conduct on the pitch. The award is usually given at the start of every football cycle (September to October). It is considered the highest award in football. Top-ranked countries around the world vote for the Ballon d'Or winners (male/female) through their selected representative.

However, several other trophies have come into the limelight after rewarding the player with "fan favourite award" rather than analyzing them based on performance and conduct. Still, the Ballon d'Or is considered the biggest individual achievement in football. Argentine legend Lionel Messi has clinched the award for record 8 times, followed by his on-field rival Cristiano Ronaldo with 5 trophies, and then we have some iconic names like Marco Van Basten, Johan Cruyff & Michel Platini, each winning the prestigious award 3 times in their career. Let's have a look at the list of Ballon d'Or winners without any further delay.

List of All Ballon d’Or Winners (1956–2025)

These players must have produced excellent performances at the highest level of football while also helping their respective teams win trophies and titles. The winner of the award is decided by voting by 100 journalists from FIFA’s 100 top-ranked member nations. Let’s take a look at the Ballon d'Or winners list.

Who Won the 2025 Ballon D'Or Award?

Who would’ve imagined that a player, once labeled a villain by some fans after underperforming at a former club, would rise to stand alongside Ballon d’Or winners like Messi, Ronaldo, and Cruyff? Ignoring the external criticism, he delivered consistently brilliant performances for Ligue 1 side Paris Saint Germain. His efforts helped PSG secure their first ever UEFA Champions League title, alongside a domestic treble and the Super Cup, earning the club the title of the best club at the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Statistically, he was among the best strikers in the world with a G/A of more than 50. His Ballon d'Or triumph makes the point that neither your skin color nor so-called favoritism can win you the Ballon d'Or, it's the sheer hard work you put in to make your team win every possible match. At Sportsdunia, we congratulate Ousmane Dembélé as he has been named the Ballon d'Or winner for 2025.

Ballon d'Or Winners: Top 5 Players with Most Golden Ball Wins

Here is a detailed list of top Ballon d'Or winners, showing how many times each footballer has received the prestigious award by France Football. These players made history with their consistent excellence on the world stage, not just by their performance but also by their conduct on the pitch.

5. Marco van Basten – 3

The third and last player to have won the Ballon d’Or three times is another Dutch legend, Marco van Basten. The former Ajax and AC Milan striker won it two years in a row in 1988 and 1989 before adding a third in 1992. In 1988, Van Basten won the Serie A title and the Supercoppa Italiana with AC Milan and the UEFA Euros with the Netherlands. The following year, he won the European Cup, European Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup with Milan. In 1992, he again won the Serie A and the Supercoppa Italiana. 3 Ballon d'Ors make him one of the best players among the Ballon d'Or winners.

4. Johan Cruyff – 3

One of the most iconic and legendary players of all time, Johan Cruyff also won the Ballon d’Or three times. He won it in 1971, 1973, and 1974 after his brilliant performances for Ajax, Barcelona, and the Netherlands. He helped Ajax win the KNVB Cup and the European Cup in 1971. He won the European Cup again in 1973 along with the Eredivisie title. In 1974, he won the La Liga with Barcelona and helped the Netherlands reach the FIFA World Cup final.

3. Michel Platini – 3

One of the greatest French players of all time, Michel Platini won the coveted award three years in a row – 1983, 1984, and 1985. He won after his contributions to Juventus and France as they won numerous trophies during his time at the club. He won the Serie A, European Cup Winners’ Cup, and European Super Cup in 1984 and the European Cup in 1985, among other honors, with the Italian side. Platini also helped France win the Euros in 1984 and the Finalissima in 1985.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo – 5

Widely regarded as one of the two greatest players of all time, alongside Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or five times. He started off in 2008 after an incredible season with Manchester United, as he helped them win the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. Ronaldo then moved to Real Madrid, where he won the award two years in a row, twice in 2013 & 2014, and 2016 & 2017. He’s won almost every trophy available for club and country and currently plies his trade with Saudi Club Al-Nassr.

1. Lionel Messi – 8

Many regard Lionel Messi as the greatest football player of all time, and his record eight Ballons d’Or provide a great argument for it. The legendary Argentine has won almost everything the game has to offer with both club and country. He won the award for the first time in 2009 before winning it the next three years in a row as well between 2010 and 2012. He then won it in 2015, 2019, and 2021 as well. His last win came in 2023 after he led Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph. It could be his last time winning the award as the 37-year-old has now left Europe and plays for MLS team Inter Miami. Messi, with his 8 Ballon d'Ors, stands tall among the Ballon d'Or winners.

History of Ballon d'Or Ceremony

The Ballon d’Or, is football's most prestigious individual trophy. It was started in the year 1956 by France Football Magazine to recognize the best male football player of the year. Journalists Gabriel Hanot and Jacques Ferran introduced the concept in front of football fans. The trophy is decided by votes, which are given by the journalists of the top 100-ranked nations in the FIFA rankings. Initially, the trophy was focused on Europe only, but it went global in the year 1995.

The club has seen many winners till the year 2008, and after that, it was just between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. During this period, only Croatian legend Luka Modric was able to win it apart from the GOAT duo in 2018 for his World Cup performance. some editions sparked cries of “robbery” when fan-favorite performances didn’t secure the trophy, like Robert Lewandowski in 2021 (many argued he deserved it over Messi), and Andrés Iniesta in 2010. The 2025 ceremony is going to be one of the most interesting in the decade, where no winner is guaranteed, and there are 3-5 contenders, unlike the usual 2-3.

How Does Ballon d’Or Voting Work

And there comes the part of the voting. If you’ve gone through the list of all Ballon d'Or winners, you must be feeling how the top player is chosen. So the first and most important part is where 30 players are selected by the Juries, associated with France Football. This phase has been slammed a bit; every year, some significant names get missed in the list, which raises eyebrows. The second step is the voting part. Each journalist ranks their top five players from a shortlist of 30 nominees, based on the previous season’s performance (e.g., 2024–25 for the 2025 award). Points are awarded as follows: 6 for first place, 4 for second, 3 for third, 2 for fourth, and 1 for fifth. The player with the highest total goes home with the golden ball. Voters weigh individual performance, team success and conduct on the pitch.