The Ballon d’Or, presented by France Football since 1956, is football’s longest-running individual honour in history.
Conceived by the magazine’s writers, the prize has changed format and eligibility over time — originally for Europe-only players, opened to all players active in Europe in 1995, and global in 2007.
In 2018, France Football expanded the honour with the Ballon d’Or Féminin, ensuring women’s football also takes centre stage.
Here’s the complete list of winners across both categories:
Men’s Ballon d’Or
1956 — Stanley Matthews (Blackpool / England)
1957 — Alfredo Di Stéfano (Real Madrid / Spain-Argentina)
1958 — Raymond Kopa (Real Madrid / France)
1959 — Alfredo Di Stéfano (Real Madrid / Spain-Argentina)
1960 — Luis Suárez (Barcelona / Spain)
1961 — Omar Sívori (Juventus / Italy-Argentina)
1962 — Josef Masopust (Dukla Prague / Czechoslovakia)
1963 — Lev Yashin (Dynamo Moscow / USSR)
1964 — Denis Law (Manchester United / Scotland)
1965 — Eusébio (Benfica / Portugal)
1966 — Bobby Charlton (Manchester United / England)
1967 — Florian Albert (Ferencváros / Hungary)
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 (Barcelona / Netherlands)
1974 — Johan Cruyff (Barcelona / Netherlands)
1975 — Oleg Blokhin (Dynamo Kyiv / USSR)
1976 — Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich / West Germany)
1977 — Allan Simonsen (Borussia Mönchengladbach / Denmark)
1978 — Kevin Keegan (Hamburg / England)
1979 — Kevin Keegan (Hamburg / 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 / USSR)
1987 — Ruud Gullit (AC Milan / Netherlands)
1988 — Marco van Basten (AC Milan / Netherlands)
1989 — Marco van Basten (AC Milan / Netherlands)
1990 — Lothar Matthäus (Inter Milan / West Germany)
1991 — Jean-Pierre Papin (Marseille / France)
1992 — Marco van Basten (AC Milan / Netherlands)
1993 — Roberto Baggio (Juventus / Italy)
1994 — Hristo Stoichkov (Barcelona / Bulgaria)
1995 — George Weah (AC Milan / Liberia)
1996 — Matthias Sammer (Borussia Dortmund / Germany)
1997 — Ronaldo Nazário (Inter Milan / Brazil)
1998 — Zinedine Zidane (Juventus / France)
1999 — Rivaldo (Barcelona / Brazil)
2000 — Luís Figo (Real Madrid / Portugal)
2001 — Michael Owen (Liverpool / England)
2002 — Ronaldo Nazário (Real Madrid / Brazil)
2003 — Pavel Nedvěd (Juventus / Czech Republic)
2004 — Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan / Ukraine)
2005 — Ronaldinho (Barcelona / Brazil)
2006 — Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid / Italy)
2007 — Kaká (AC Milan / Brazil)
2008 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United / Portugal)
2009 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona / Argentina)
2010 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona / Argentina)
2011 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona / Argentina)
2012 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona / Argentina)
2013 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid / Portugal)
2014 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid / Portugal)
2015 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona / Argentina)
2016 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid / Portugal)
2017 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid / Portugal)
2018 — Luka Modrić (Real Madrid / Croatia)
2019 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona / Argentina)
2020 — Not awarded (COVID-19)
2021 — Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain / Argentina)
2022 — Karim Benzema (Real Madrid / France)
2023 — Lionel Messi (Inter Miami / Argentina)
2024 — Rodri (Manchester City / Spain)
Women’s Ballon d’Or (Ballon d’Or Féminin)
2018 — Ada Hegerberg (Lyon / Norway)
2019 — Megan Rapinoe (Reign FC / USA)
2020 — Not awarded (COVID-19)
2021 — Alexia Putellas (Barcelona / Spain)
2022 — Alexia Putellas (Barcelona / Spain)
2023 — Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
2024 —Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
source: The Punch online
