Since its inception in 1956, the Ballon d'Or (or "Golden Ball") has been handed out to the best player of the soccer season. Lionel Messi holds the record for the most Ballon d'Or awards, with eight. Cristiano Ronaldo has received the most nominations, with 18. In 2018, the Ballon d'Or Féminin was awarded for the first time, to Ada Hegerberg of Norway.
In 2025, Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé won the Ballon d'Or and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí won the Ballon d'Or Féminin.
Check out the all-time list of Ballon d'Or and Ballon d'Or Féminin winners below:
M: 2025 Ousmane Dembélé (France); W: Aitana Bonmatí (Spain)
M: 2024 Rodri (Spain); W: Aitana Bonmati (Spain)
M: 2023 Lionel Messi (Argentina); W: Aitana Bonmati (Spain)
M: 2022 Karim Benzema (France); W: Alexia Putellas (Spain)
M: 2021 Lionel Messi (Argentina); W: Alexia Putellas (Spain)
2020: Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
M: 2019 Lionel Messi (Argentina); W: Megan Rapinoe (United States)
M: 2018 Luka Modric (Croatia); W: Ada Hegerberg (Norway)
2017 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2016 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2015 - Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2014 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2013 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2012 - Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2011 - Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2010 - Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2009 - Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2007 - Kaká (Brazil)
2006 - Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
2005 - Ronaldinho (Brazil)
2004 - Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)
2003 - Pavel Nedvěd (Czechia)
2002 - Ronaldo (Brazil)
2001 - Michael Owen (England)
2000 - Luís Figo (Portugal)
1999 - Rivaldo (Brazil)
1998 - Zinedine Zidane (France)
1997 - Ronaldo (Brazil)
1996 - Matthias Sammer (Germany)
1995 - George Weah (Liberia)
1994 - Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
1993 - Roberto Baggio (Italy)
1992 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1991 - Jean-Pierre Papin (France)
1990 - Lothar Matthäus (Germany)
1989 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1988 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1987 - Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)
1986 - Igor Belanov (Soviet Union)
1985 - Michel Platini (France)
1984 - Michel Platini (France)
1983 - Michel Platini (France)
1982 - Paolo Rossi (Italy)
1981 - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1980 - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1979 - Kevin Keegan (England)
1978 - Kevin Keegan (England)
1977 - Allan Simonsen (Denmark)
1976 - Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
1975 - Oleg Blokhin (Soviet Union)
1974 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1973 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1972 - Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
1971 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1970 - Gerd Müller (West Germany)
1969 - Gianni Rivera (Italy)
1968 - George Best (Northern Ireland)
1967 - Flórián Albert (Hungary)
1966 - Bobby Charlton (England)
1965 - Eusébio (Portugal)
1964 - Denis Law (Scotland)
1963 - Lev Yashin (Soviet Union)
1962 - Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia)
1961 - Omar Sívori (Italy)
1960 - Luis Suárez (Spain)
1959 - Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina)
1958 - Raymond Kopa (France)
1957 - Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina)
1956 - Stanley Matthews (England)
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