Ballon d’Or of All Time: Most Wins, Winners List and Messi vs Ronaldo
From Stanley Matthews to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, explore the greatest Ballon d’Or winners, records and one of football’s biggest individual rivalries.
Football has produced countless great players, but only a small number have been able to call themselves a Ballon d’Or winner. From Stanley Matthews winning the first award in 1956 to modern stars dominating football today, the trophy has become one of the biggest individual honours a player can receive.
When fans talk about the Ballon d Or of all time, two names immediately come into the conversation: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
For more than a decade, the pair competed at a level rarely seen before. Their battle did not just decide matches, league titles and Champions League trophies—it completely changed the Ballon d Or ranking.
Messi currently holds the all-time record with eight Ballon d’Or awards, while Ronaldo is second with five. Together, they have won the trophy 13 times.
What Is the Ballon d’Or?
The Ballon d’Or is an annual football award created by France Football in 1956. It recognises outstanding individual performances at the highest level of the game.
English football legend Stanley Matthews became the first winner in 1956. Since then, the trophy has passed through several generations of football stars.
Winning a Ballon d’Or is considered a major individual achievement because very few players ever reach that level. A footballer may win league titles and international trophies throughout his career but still never receive the Ballon d’Or.
That is one reason football fans pay so much attention to the award every year.
Who Has the Most Ballon d’Or Wins of All Time?
Lionel Messi currently sits at the top of the Ballon d Or ranking for total victories.
| Rank | Player | Ballon d’Or Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | 8 |
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 5 |
| 3 | Michel Platini | 3 |
| 3 | Johan Cruyff | 3 |
| 3 | Marco van Basten | 3 |
Messi’s eight awards give him a significant lead at the top, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s five victories put him comfortably in second place.
This ranking also shows just how unusual the Messi-Ronaldo era was. Before them, winning the trophy three times was already enough to place a player among the greatest in Ballon d’Or history.
Messi Ballon d’Or Record: How Many Has He Won?
The Messi Ballon d Or record currently stands at eight wins.
Lionel Messi won the award in:
One of the most remarkable parts of Messi’s record was his run from 2009 to 2012. He won four consecutive Ballon d’Or awards, establishing himself as the dominant individual player of that period.
Messi returned to win again in 2015 and 2019 before adding his seventh award in 2021.
He then won his eighth Ballon d’Or in 2023, extending his record at the top.
His Ballon d’Or success came across different stages of his career. His early awards were strongly connected with his extraordinary Barcelona years, while later victories reflected achievements for both club and country.
Ronaldo Ballon d’Or Record: How Many Has Cristiano Ronaldo Won?
Cristiano Ronaldo has won five Ballon d’Or awards.
His winning years are:
The first Ronaldo Ballon d Or came in 2008 after his outstanding period with Manchester United.
His next four victories came during his Real Madrid years, when Ronaldo was scoring at an incredible rate and regularly competing for the Champions League and other major trophies.
Ronaldo’s five awards would have been an extraordinary record in almost any football era. The fact that he sits second is largely because his career overlapped with Messi’s.
Messi vs Ronaldo: The Ballon d’Or Rivalry
The Messi vs Ronaldo debate goes far beyond the Ballon d’Or.
Fans compare their goals, assists, Champions League performances, international careers, playing styles and individual records. But the Ballon d’Or gives the debate one clear numerical comparison.
Messi Ballon d’Or
2015 • 2019 • 2021 • 2023
Ronaldo Ballon d’Or
2016 • 2017
That ten-year period explains why the modern history of the Ballon d’Or is so closely connected with these two players.
Their rivalry also pushed expectations higher. Scoring 40 or 50 goals in a season, producing major Champions League performances and competing for multiple trophies became almost normal during their peak years.
Ballon d’Or Winners List: Modern Era
The modern winners list gives a clear picture of Messi and Ronaldo’s dominance and the players who eventually followed them.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Ronaldinho |
| 2006 | Fabio Cannavaro |
| 2007 | Kaká |
| 2008 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| 2009 | Lionel Messi |
| 2010 | Lionel Messi |
| 2011 | Lionel Messi |
| 2012 | Lionel Messi |
| 2013 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| 2014 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| 2015 | Lionel Messi |
| 2016 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| 2017 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| 2018 | Luka Modrić |
| 2019 | Lionel Messi |
| 2020 | No Award |
| 2021 | Lionel Messi |
| 2022 | Karim Benzema |
| 2023 | Lionel Messi |
| 2024 | Rodri |
| 2025 | Ousmane Dembélé |
Looking at this list makes the scale of Messi and Ronaldo’s dominance much easier to understand.
Between Kaká’s victory in 2007 and Modrić’s win in 2018, nobody outside Messi and Ronaldo managed to win the award.
Famous Ballon d’Or Winners Before Messi and Ronaldo
The Ballon d’Or has existed since 1956, so many legendary players had already built its reputation long before Messi and Ronaldo appeared.
Johan Cruyff – 3 Wins
Johan Cruyff won the Ballon d’Or in 1971, 1973 and 1974. He became one of football’s most influential figures and was closely associated with Total Football.
Michel Platini – 3 Wins
Michel Platini won three consecutive awards in 1983, 1984 and 1985, creating one of the most impressive winning runs before the Messi era.
Marco van Basten – 3 Wins
Dutch striker Marco van Basten won three Ballon d’Or trophies in 1988, 1989 and 1992.
Ronaldo Nazário – 2 Wins
Brazilian striker Ronaldo Nazário won the Ballon d’Or in 1997 and 2002, long before Cristiano Ronaldo began dominating the award.
Who Was the First Ballon d’Or Winner?
Stanley Matthews was the first footballer to win the Ballon d’Or.
He received the award in 1956, beginning a history that now covers around seven decades of football.
Alfredo Di Stéfano won in 1957, Raymond Kopa followed in 1958, and Di Stéfano won again in 1959.
Why Was There No Ballon d’Or in 2020?
Anyone checking the Ballon d’Or winners list will notice that 2020 is missing.
The award was not presented that year because the ceremony was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who Is the Latest Ballon d’Or Winner?
The latest confirmed men’s winner is Ousmane Dembélé, who won the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
He followed Rodri, who won in 2024, while Lionel Messi won his record-extending eighth award in 2023.
Messi vs Ronaldo: Who Has More Ballon d’Or Awards?
If the comparison is based only on Ballon d’Or victories, Lionel Messi is ahead.
Cristiano Ronaldo: 5 Ballon d’Or awards
However, the importance of the Messi vs Ronaldo rivalry is not simply about who has the larger number.
For around a decade, one of the biggest questions before almost every Ballon d’Or ceremony was whether Messi or Ronaldo would win.
Even after their period of dominance ended, their 13 combined victories remain one of the most extraordinary statistics in Ballon d’Or history.
Final Thoughts
The story of the Ballon d Or of all time is really the story of different generations of football greatness.
Stanley Matthews started the journey in 1956. Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten became multiple winners. Stars such as Ronaldo Nazário, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho and Kaká represented later generations before Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo changed the record books.
Today, the most Ballon d Or awards belong to Lionel Messi with eight, while Cristiano Ronaldo stands second with five.
Whether fans prefer Messi, Ronaldo or another football legend, their rivalry gave the Ballon d’Or one of the most memorable periods in its history.