Ballon d'Or winners: Full list of men's and women's winners
All the Ballon d'Or winners from 1956 to 2023.
Since the award was created by French football magazine L'Équipe in 1956, the Ballon d'Or has been a benchmark for greatness – the ultimate standard for the world's best footballers.
There are countless excellent players across the men's and women's games, but there are far fewer truly elite players roaming the planet in 2024.
From Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham in Real Madrid white to Rodri and Erling Haaland in Manchester City sky blue, the list of contenders for the 2024 men's award is sprawling, while the Ballon d'Or Feminin award looks set to be competed between a cluster of club and international teammates.
The winner is determined by a criteria of individual and team success over the last year, so there's no surprise to see the last decade or so has been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
RadioTimes.com brings you the full list of Ballon d'Or winners through the ages.
Who won the Ballon d'Or last year?
Last year's Ballon d'Or went to Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022. The win marks the iconic striker's eighth prize.
In the Féminin category, Aitana Bonmatí claimed the top spot, taking over from fellow Barcelona and Spain player Alexia Putellas.
Argentina and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez beat Ederson and Yassine Bounou to the Yashin Trophy, while England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham won the Kopa for world's best young player.
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Ballon d'Or winners history
- 2023: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Inter Miami
- 2022: Karim Benzema, France, Real Madrid
- 2021: Lionel Messi, Argentina, PSG
- 2020: Not awarded
- 2019: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
- 2018: Luka Modrić, Croatia, Real Madrid
- 2017: Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal, Real Madrid
- 2016: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Real Madrid
- 2015: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
- 2014: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Real Madrid
- 2013: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Real Madrid
- 2012: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
- 2011: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
- 2010: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
- 2009: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
- 2008: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Manchester United
- 2007: Kaká, Brazil, AC Milan
- 2006: Fabio Cannavaro, Italy, Real Madrid
- 2005: Ronaldinho, Brazil, Barcelona
- 2004: Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine, AC Milan
- 2003: Pavel Nedvěd, Czechia, Juventus
- 2002: Ronaldo, Brazil, Real Madrid
- 2001: Michael Owen, England, Liverpool
- 2000: Luís Figo, Portugal, Real Madrid
- 1999: Rivaldo, Brazil, Barcelona
- 1998: Zinedine Zidane, France, Juventus
- 1997: Ronaldo, Brazil, Internazionale
- 1996: Matthias Sammer, Germany, Borussia Dortmund
- 1995: George Weah, Liberia, AC Milan
- 1994: Hristo Stoichkov, Bulgaria, Barcelona
- 1993: Roberto Baggio, Italy, Juventus
- 1992: Marco van Basten, Netherlands, AC Milan
- 1991: Jean-Pierre Papin, France, Marseille
- 1990: Lothar Matthäus, Germany, Internazionale
- 1989: Marco van Basten, Netherlands, AC Milan
- 1988: Marco van Basten, Netherlands, AC Milan
- 1987: Ruud Gullit, Netherlands, AC Milan
- 1986: Igor Belanov, Soviet Union, Dynamo Kyiv
- 1985: Michel Platini, France, Juventus
- 1984: Michel Platini, France, Juventus
- 1983: Michel 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
- 1978: Kevin Keegan, England, Hamburg
- 1977: Allan Simonsen, Denmark, Borussia Mönchengladbach
- 1976: Franz Beckenbauer, West Germany, Bayern Munich
- 1975: Oleg Blokhin, Soviet Union, Dynamo Kyiv
- 1974: Johan Cruyff, Netherlands, Barcelona
- 1973: Johan Cruyff, Netherlands, Barcelona
- 1972: Franz Beckenbauer, West Germany, Bayern Munich
- 1971: Johan Cruyff, Netherlands, Ajax
- 1970: Gerd Müller, West Germany, Bayern Munich
- 1969: Gianni Rivera, Italy, AC Milan
- 1968: George Best, Northern Ireland, Manchester United
- 1967: Flórián Albert, Hungary Ferencv, rosi TC
- 1966: Bobby Charlton, England, Manchester United
- 1965: Eusébio, Portugal, Benfica
- 1964: Denis Law, Scotland, Manchester United
- 1963: Lev Yashin, Soviet Union, Dynamo Moscow
- 1962: Josef Masopust, Czechoslovakia Dukla, Prague
- 1961: Omar Sívori, Italy, Juventus
- 1960: Luis Suárez, Spain, Barcelona
- 1959: Alfredo Di Stéfano, Argentina, Real Madrid
- 1958: Raymond Kopa, France, Real Madrid
- 1957: Alfredo Di Stéfano, Argentina Real Madrid
- 1956: Stanley Matthews, England, Blackpool
Ballon d'Or Feminin winners history
- 2023: Aitana Bonmatí, Spain, Barcelona
- 2022: Alexia Putellas, Spain, Barcelona
- 2021: Alexia Putellas, Spain, Barcelona
- 2020: Not awarded
- 2019: Megan Rapinoe, USA, Reign FC
- 2018: Ada Hegerberg, Norway, Lyon
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Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
