Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball), is the most ancient prestigious award for a football player. This award is a yearly award presented by the French reports organization and the France Football authority. We will get here actually, Ballon d’Or winners list from 1956 to present.
This honorable award has to give since 1956. Then, from 2010 to 2015, this award was given another name, “FIFA Ballon d’Or” or “FIFA World Player of the Year”, founded in 1991.
In 2016, again, this award was named Ballon d’Or, and the authority of “FIFA” is giving another award called “The Best FIFA Men’s Player”.
From 1956 to 2006, the Ballon d’Or award was given by the voting of football journalists. Then, in 2007, the captains of the national football teams and the football coaches were permitted to vote for this award.
The world-famous sportswriter ‘Gabriel Hanot’ declared that the honor would be given to a male football player who better performed over the previous year. Before 1994, Ballon d’Or was given been only for European players, and it was known as the “European Footballer of the Year award“.
Then, from 1995to 2006, this award was given who were active in European clubs. But, from 2007 to the present, it is known for a global tribute, and it is given the most performer footballer in one-year stats.
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Ballon d’Or Winners List from 1956 to present
From 1956 to the present, many world-famous football players won the most impressive award, Ballon d’Or. Ballon d’Or winner’s list men are available here. The winner of the Ballon d’Or footballer list is given below:
| year | player name | Nationality | Their Club name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Lionel Messi | Argentine | PSG (Paris Saint Germain) |
| 2020 | not bestowed | ||
| 2019 | Lionel Messi | Argentine | Barcelona |
| 2018 | Luka Modric | Croatia team | 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 | Milan |
| 2006 | Fabio Cannavaro | Italy | Real Madrid |
| 2005 | Ronaldinho | Brazil | Barcelona |
| 2004 | Andriy Shevchenko | Ukrain | Milan |
| 2003 | Pavel Nedvěd | Czech Republic | 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 team | Juventus |
| 1997 | Ronaldo | Brazil | Internazionale |
| 1996 | Matthias Sammer | Germany | Borussia Dortmund |
| 1995 | George Weah | Liberia | Milan |
| 1994 | Hristo Stoichkov | Bulgaria | Barcelona |
| 1993 | Roberto Baggio | Italy | Juventus |
| 1992 | Marco van Basten | Netherlands | Milan |
| 1991 | Jean-Pierre Papin | France team | Marseille |
| 1990 | Lothar Matthäus | Germany | Internazionale |
| 1989 | Marco van Basten | Netherlands | Milan |
| 1988 | Marco van Basten | Netherlands | Milan |
| 1987 | Ruud Gullit | Netherlands | Milan |
| 1986 | Igor Belanov | Soviet Union | Dynamo Kyiv |
| 1985 | Michel Platini | France team | Juventus |
| 1984 | Michel Platini | France team | Juventus |
| 1983 | Michel Platini | France team | 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 M”nchengladbach |
| 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 | 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 team | Barcelona |
| 1959 | Alfredo Di Stéfano | Spain team | Real Madrid |
| 1958 | Raymond Kopa | France | Real Madrid |
| 1957 | Alfredo Di Stéfano | France | Real Madrid |
| 1956 | Stanley Matthews | England | Blackpool |
Ballon d’Or winners by team
From 1956 to 2021, some footballers won Ballon d’Or for their excellent performance. “FIFA World Cup” is a world-famous competition where 32 football teams participate. By the stats of “FIFA World Cup” and club performance, a footballer gets the most prestigious award, Ballon d’Or.
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As the stats of the country, Germany won this award seven times by five players. Their name is given below:
- Gerd Müller-1970
- Franz Beckenbauer for two times (1972 and 1976)
- Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, for two times (1980 and 1981)
- Lothar Matthäus (1990)
- Matthias Sammer (1996)
Then, Netherland’s three players won this award seven times. Also, Portugal won this award seven times with three players. The players are:
Netherland
- Johan Cruyff for three times (1971,1973 and 1974)
- Ruud Gullit (1987)
- Marco van Basten for three times (1988, 1989 and 1992)
Portugal
- Eusébio (1965)
- Luís Figo (2000)
- Cristiano Ronaldo for five times (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017)
France has a fourth place. They have won this award six times by four players. Their winner players name is given below:
- Raymond Kopa (1958)
- Michel Platini for three times (1983, 1984 and1985)
- Jean-Pierre Papin (1991)
- Zinedine Zidane (1998)
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It is a single history; Argentina’s won this honor six times by only one player. You know, who is he? He is Lionel Messi, who won this award six times. Messi won this honor from 2009 to 2012. It is the world record for a footballer. But then, he also won this award in 2015 and 2019.
Italy, Brazil and England won this award five times. Their winner player’s names are given below:
Italy
- Omar Sívori (1961)
- Gianni Rivera (1969)
- Paolo Rossi Italy (1982)
- Roberto Baggio (1993)
- Fabio Cannavaro (2006)
Brazil
- Ronaldo (1997)
- Rivaldo for 2 times (1999 and 2002)
- Ronaldinho (2005)
- Kaká (2007)
England
- Stanley Matthews, the first Ballon d’Or winner (1956)
- Bobby Charlton (1966)
- Kevin Keegan for two times (1978 and 1979)
- Michael Owen (2001)
The Soviet Union and Spain’s players won this honor three times. The winner player names are:
Soviet Union
- Lev Yashin (1963)
- Oleg Blokhin (1975)
- Igor Belanov (1986)
Spain
- Alfredo Di Stéfano for two times (1957 and 1959)
- Luis Suárez (1960)
Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Hungary, Liberia, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Ukraine’s footballer won this award. The player’s names are given below:
- Hristo Stoichkov- Bulgaria (1994)
- Luka Modric- Croatia (2018)
- Pavel Nedvěd- Czech Republic (2003)
- Josef Masopust- Czechoslovakia (1962)
- Allan Simonsen- Denmark (1977)
- Flórián Albert- Hungary (1967)
- George Weah- Liberia (1995)
- George Best- Northern Ireland (1968)
- Denis Law- Scotland (1964)
- Andriy Shevchenko- Ukraine (2004)
Ballon d’or 2021 date and time
Ballon d’Or 2020 was not awarded due to the Covid-19 pandemic. After June 2021, football sports started successfully. So, we expected that the Ballon d’Or 2021 would be proclaimed in early December 2021. Argentine footballer Lionel Messi won the Ballon dÓr 2021 award which was proclaimed on 29th November 2021. He won the Ballon dOr seven times total.
According to 2018 and 2019, it was awarded on Monday, the first week in December. Therefore, we expect that Ballon d’Or 2021 will announce in the first week of December 2021. Thus, the expected date is on 06th December 2021.
Anyway, I think already you have got details about the Ballon d’Or winners list by country and player details.
