Top 10 Ballon d’Or Winners List (All-Time)

Since 1956, the Ballon d’Or has annually rewarded the best player in European football for their achievements. The award is voted for by journalists, and while their choices have sparked controversies in certain years, the Ballon d’Or remains the premier individual accolade in football.

The award was initially limited to European players playing in Europe. However, since 1995, eligibility has expanded to consider players worldwide. This proved to have a defining consequence, as the most successful player in the awards' history is South American.

Here is a list of the top 10 winningest players in Ballon d'Or history:

Argentinian forward Lionel Messi holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or awards in history: eight. His wins came in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023. 

He won the awards playing for European clubs like Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. He also won one as an Inter Miami player. 

His success in the Champions League (five) and titles with Barcelona contributed to most of his Ballon d'Or wins. The recent successes with Argentina (Copa America and World Cup) are credited with his most recent awards.

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo sits second with five Ballon d’Or awards. He won in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and most recently in 2017. 

Ronaldo’s period of dominance overlapped with Messi’s, making for one of the great sporting rivalries. His goal-scoring ability across different leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Serie A) and success in the UEFA Champions League and international tournaments underpin the awards.

French midfielder Michel Platini won the Ballon d’Or three times: in 1983, 1984 and 1985. 

Platini was the first player to win the award for three consecutive years, before Messi stretched the record by winning four in a row. His creative influence in midfield for Juventus and the French national team stunned Europe, helping him win the awards, particularly the EURO 1984 and the 1984/85 Champions League triumphs. 

Dutch icon Johan Cruyff also captured three Ballon d’Or awards, in 1971, 1973 and 1974. 

Cruyff’s influence extended beyond scoring or assisting; he helped pioneer a footballing philosophy (Total Football) and led both Ajax and Barcelona to success.

He revolutionised football during his era, winning three consecutive European Cup titles (now known as the Champions League).

Dutch striker Marco van Basten won three awards as well,  in 1988, 1989 and 1992, with many speculating that he could have won more had he not suffered from injuries. 

 His early retirement through injury means his peak is sometimes seen as short-lived, yet his three Ballons d’Or immortalise him as one of the all-time great number nines.

German legend Franz Beckenbauer, playing as a sweeper, won the Ballon d’Or twice (1972 and 1976). 

Beckenbauer represents one of the few cases of a defender winning the Ballon d'Or, and he won it twice. He was successful for Bayern Munich and West Germany. Interestingly, he won his awards in the middle and at the end of Cruyff's run. 

Argentinian-Spanish star Alfredo Di Stéfano claimed two Ballon d’Ors (1957 and 1959). Stefano was the second-ever Ballon d'Or winner. He won the award after coming second to maiden winner Stanley Matthews. 

Di Stéfano was central to Real Madrid’s dominance in Europe in the late 1950s and early ‘60s. He was the key cog in the unstoppable Real Madrid machine which won five consecutive European Cup titles. While Di Stefano is originally Argentine, he held a dual nationality, one of which was Spanish, helping him secure eligibility. 

English forward Kevin Keegan won two Ballon d’Or awards in 1978 and 1979. He remains the only Englishmanto have won the award on multiple occasions. 

While he was successful with Liverpool, winning the European Cup, his Ballon d'Or came at Hamburger, where he was a losing finalist to Nottingham Forest. 

Brazilian striker Ronaldo (“Ronaldo Nazário”) won the award twice: in 1997 and 2002. He first won the award as a 21-year-old, and to date, he remains the youngest-ever winner.

He won the first award as an Inter player after an incredible single season at Barcelona. The second came following a triumphant World Cup triumph in 2002. 

German forward Karl-Heinz Rummenigge won two Ballon d’Or awards (1980 and 1981). 

Rummenigge was a major figure for Bayern Munich and West Germany in the 70s and 80s. He won the Euros in 1980 and reached the 1982 World Cup final before losing to Italy.