Learn about the record of the Ballon d'Or winners since the first edition

The following are the names of the winners of the Ballon d'Or award given by the French magazine "France Football" for the best footballer since 1956:

2022: French Karim Benzema

2021: Lionel Messi

2020: Canceled due to the Corona pandemic

2019: Lionel Messi

2018: Croatia's Luka Modric

2017: Cristiano Ronaldo

2016: Cristiano Ronaldo

2015: Lionel Messi

2014: Cristiano Ronaldo

2013: Cristiano Ronaldo

2012: Lionel Messi

2011: Lionel Messi

2010: Lionel Messi

2009: Lionel Messi

2008: Cristiano Ronaldo

2007: Brazilian Ricardo Kaká

2006: Fabio Cannavaro, Italy

2005: Brazilian Ronaldinho

2004: Andrey Shevchenko, Ukraine

2003: Czech Pavel Nedved

2002: Brazilian Ronaldo

2001: Englishman Michael Owen

2000: Luis Figo, Portugal

1999: Brazilian Rivaldo

1998: Frenchman Zinedine Zidane

1997: Brazilian Ronaldo

1996: Matthias Sammer, Germany

1995: Liberian George Weah

1994: Hristo Stoichkov, Bulgarian

1993: Italian Roberto Baggio

1992: Dutch Marco van Basten

1991: Jean-Pierre Papin, French

1990: Lothar Matthaus, Germany

1989: Marco van Basten, Dutch

1988: Dutch Marco van Basten

1987: Dutchman Ruud Gullit

1986: Soviet Igor Bilanov

1985: Frenchman Michel Platini

1984: Frenchman Michel Platini

1983: Frenchman Michel Platini

1982: Italian Paolo Rossi

1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Germany

1979: England's Kevin Keegan

1978: England's Kevin Keegan

1977: Denmark's Alan Simonsen

1976: German Franz Beckenbauer

1975: Soviet Oleg Blokhin

1974: Johan Cruyff, Dutch

1973: Dutchman Johan Cruyff

1972: German Franz Beckenbauer

1971: Johan Cruyff, Dutch

1970: Gerd Muller, Germany

1969: Italian Gianni Rivera

1968: Northern Irishman George Best

1967: Hungarian Florian Albert

1966: England's Bobby Charlton

1965: Portuguese Eusebio

1964: Scotsman Dennis Lowe

1963: Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin

1962: Czechoslovakian Joseph Masopust

1961: Italian Omar Sivori

1960: Luis Soares, Spain

1959: Alfredo Di Stefano of Spain

1958: Frenchman Raymond Cuba

1957: Alfredo Di Stefano of Spain

1956: England's Stanley Matthews

Between 2010 and 2015, the Ballon d'Or award from France Football was merged with the award for the best player in the world awarded annually by the International Football Association (FIFA), before they were separated again starting from 2016.

 France Football first awarded the Golden Ball to the best European player in Europe between 1956 and 1994, and then to the best player in Europe between 1995 and 2006, and to the best player in the world starting in 2007.

 The 2020 edition has been canceled due to the repercussions of the Corona virus.

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