Every winner of the Ballon d'Or since its inception in 1956
- The most important individual award
- 1956: Stanly Matthews
- 1958: Raymond Kopa
- 1959: Alfredo Di Stéfano
- 1960: Luis Suárez
- 1961: Omar Sívori
- 1962: Josef Masopust
- 1963: Lev Yashin
- 1964: Denis Law
- 1965: Eusébio
- 1966: Bobby Charlton
- 1968: George Best
- 1969: Gianni Rivera
- 1970: Gerd Müller
- 1971: Johan Cruyff
- 1972: Franz Beckenbauer
- 1973: Johan Cruyff
- 1974: Johan Cruyff
- 1975: Oleg Blokhin
- 1976: Franz Beckenbauer
- 1978: Kevin Keegan
- 1979: Kevin Keegan
- 1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
- 1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
- 1982: Paolo Rossi
- 1983: Michel Platini
- 1984: Michel Platini
- 1985: Michel Platini
- 1986: Igor Belanov
- 1988: Marco van Basten
- 1989: Marco van Basten
- 1990: Lotthar Matthäus
- 1991: Jean-Pierre Papin
- 1992: Marco van Basten
- 1993: Roberto Baggio
- 1994: Hristo Stoichkov
- 1995: George Weah
- 1996: Matthias Sammer
- 1998: Zinedine Zidane
- 1999: Rivaldo
- 2000: Luís Figo
- 2001: Michael Owen
- 2002: Ronaldo
- 2003: Pavel Nedvěd
- 2004: Andriy Shevchenko
- 2005: Ronaldinho
- 2006: Fabio Cannavaro
- 2008: Cristiano Ronaldo
- 2009: Lionel Messi
- 2010: Lionel Messi
- 2011: Lionel Messi
- 2012: Lionel Messi
- 2013: Cristiano Ronaldo
- 2014: Cristiano Ronaldo
- 2015: Lionel Messi
- 2016: Cristiano Ronaldo
- 2018: Luka Modrić
- 2019: Lionel Messi
- 2021: Lionel Messi
- 2022: Karim Benzema
- 2023: Lionel Messi
The most important individual award
The Ballon d'Or is the most important individual football award, with winners from very different clubs and countries. Let's take a look at all the winners of the Ballon d'Or since its inception in 1956, specifying the club they played for and their nationality. All info sourced from Topend Sports.
1956: Stanly Matthews
Blackpool - England
1958: Raymond Kopa
Real Madrid - France
1959: Alfredo Di Stéfano
Real Madrid - Argentina/Spain
1960: Luis Suárez
FC Barcelona - Spain
1961: Omar Sívori
Juventus - Italy
1962: Josef Masopust
Dukla Prague - Czechoslovakia
1963: Lev Yashin
Dynamo Moscow - Soviet Union
1964: Denis Law
Manchester United - Scotland
1965: Eusébio
Benfica - Portugal
1966: Bobby Charlton
Manchester United - England
1968: George Best
Manchester United - Northern Ireland
1969: Gianni Rivera
AC Milan - Italy
1970: Gerd Müller
Bayern Munich - West Germany
1971: Johan Cruyff
Ajax - Netherlands
1972: Franz Beckenbauer
Bayern Munich - West Germany
1973: Johan Cruyff
FC Barcelona - Netherlands
1974: Johan Cruyff
FC Barcelona - Netherlands
1975: Oleg Blokhin
Dynamo Moscow - Soviet Union
1976: Franz Beckenbauer
Bayern Munich - West Germany
1978: Kevin Keegan
Hamburger SV - England
1979: Kevin Keegan
Hamburger SV - England
1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Bayern Munich - West Germany
1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Bayern Munich - West Germany
1982: Paolo Rossi
Juventus - Italy
1983: Michel Platini
Juventus - France
1984: Michel Platini
Juventus - France
1985: Michel Platini
Juventus - France
1986: Igor Belanov
Dynamo Kyiv - Soviet Union
1988: Marco van Basten
AC Milan - Netherlands
1989: Marco van Basten
AC Milan - Netherlands
1990: Lotthar Matthäus
Inter Milan - Germany
1991: Jean-Pierre Papin
Olympique Marseille - France
1992: Marco van Basten
AC Milan - Netherlands
1993: Roberto Baggio
Juventus - Italy
1994: Hristo Stoichkov
FC Barcelona - Bulgaria
1995: George Weah
AC Milan - Liberia
1996: Matthias Sammer
Borussia Dortmund - Germany
1998: Zinedine Zidane
Juventus - France
1999: Rivaldo
FC Barcelona - Brazil
2000: Luís Figo
Real Madrid - Portugal
2001: Michael Owen
Liverpool - England
2002: Ronaldo
Real Madrid - Brazil
2003: Pavel Nedvěd
Juventus - Czechia
2004: Andriy Shevchenko
AC Milan - Ukraine
2005: Ronaldinho
FC Barcelona - Brazil
2006: Fabio Cannavaro
Real Madrid - Italy
2008: Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United - Portugal
2009: Lionel Messi
FC Barcelona - Argentina
2010: Lionel Messi
FC Barcelona - Argentina
2011: Lionel Messi
FC Barcelona - Argentina
2012: Lionel Messi
FC Barcelona - Argentina
2013: Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid - Portugal
2014: Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid - Portugal
2015: Lionel Messi
FC Barcelona - Argentina
2016: Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid - Portugal
2018: Luka Modrić
Real Madrid - Croatia
2019: Lionel Messi
FC Barcelona - Argentina
2021: Lionel Messi
Paris Saint-Germain - Argentina
2022: Karim Benzema
Real Madrid - France
2023: Lionel Messi
Inter Miami - Argentina
