Ballon d'Or facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ballon d'Or |
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The Ballon d'Or trophy, once known as the FIFA Ballon d'Or
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| Presented by | France Football | |||
| First awarded | 18 December 1956 | |||
| Currently held by |  Rodri(1st win) |
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The Ballon d'Or (which means Golden Ball in French) is a super important award in football. It's given out every year by a French magazine called France Football. This award celebrates the player who was the very best during the past football season. It started way back in 1956.
When the Ballon d'Or first began, only football journalists voted for it. Also, only players from Europe could win it. That's why it was often called the European Footballer of the Year award. But in 1995, the rules changed. Any player from anywhere in the world could win, as long as they played for a European club. Then, in 2007, it became a truly global award. Now, all professional footballers from any club around the world can be chosen! For a while, national team coaches and captains also voted, but since 2016, only journalists vote again.
Between 2010 and 2015, the Ballon d'Or joined up with another big award, the FIFA World Player of the Year. Together, they were called the FIFA Ballon d'Or. But this partnership ended in 2016. Now, the Ballon d'Or is back to being its own award, and FIFA has its own award too, called The Best FIFA Men's Player. In 2022, France Football made some new rules. The award now looks at a full football season instead of a calendar year. Also, only one journalist from each country in the top 100 of the FIFA Men's World Ranking can vote. Since 2024, UEFA helps organize the fancy award ceremony, but France Football still decides how the voting works and keeps the Ballon d'Or name.
Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or a record eight times, which is more than anyone else! Cristiano Ronaldo is next with five wins. Other famous players like Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten have each won it three times. Rodri is the most recent winner, taking home the trophy in 2024.
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What is the Ballon d'Or?
The Ballon d'Or is thought to be the most important individual award a football player can win. It's a huge honor! However, some people have said it's a "popularity contest." They sometimes criticize how players are chosen, saying it favors players who score a lot of goals (attacking players). They also question picking just one person in a team sport.
Stanley Matthews from England was the very first player to win the Ballon d'Or in 1956. Before 2007, the award was only decided by football journalists. It was mostly known as the European Footballer of the Year award because it started for European players. Even after 2007, many people still called it that because of its history.
In 1995, the rules changed so that non-European players could win if they played for a European club. George Weah from Liberia was the first non-European player to win it that year. He's the only African player to have won it. Two years later, Ronaldo from Brazil became the first South American winner. He's also the youngest player ever to win the award, at just 21 years and 96 days old! In 2007, the award became truly global, meaning players from any club in the world could be chosen.
Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or eight times, which is the most by any player. Cristiano Ronaldo has won it five times and has been nominated a record eighteen times. Messi is also the only player to win the award while playing for three different teams, and the only one to win it while playing outside Europe. He has also finished in the top three a record fourteen times! Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten have each won the award three times.
Countries like the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, and France have each had seven Ballon d'Or winners. Argentina is in first place with eight wins, all thanks to Lionel Messi. German and Dutch players have even taken all top three spots in a single year! Spanish clubs, especially Barcelona and Real Madrid, have had the most winners overall. They each have twelve wins, making Spain's La Liga the league with the most Ballon d'Or winners.
The award tends to go to players who score a lot of goals. Over time, winners have come from fewer leagues and clubs. Before 1995, ten different leagues had Ballon d'Or winners. Since then, only England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United States have had winners.
As mentioned, the award joined with the FIFA World Player of the Year from 2010 to 2015 to become the FIFA Ballon d'Or. After this partnership ended, UEFA created its own award, the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, to keep the tradition of honoring a top European player. In 2020, the award was not given out because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people felt that Robert Lewandowski should have won that year.
In 2022, France Football changed the rules again. The award now covers a football season (like August to May) instead of a calendar year (January to December). Also, only one journalist from each country in the top 100 of the FIFA Men's World Ranking can vote. This change was made to make the award more like the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award and to make it less dominated by just a few top leagues and players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Since 2024, UEFA helps organize the Ballon d'Or ceremony, but France Football still runs the voting.
Ballon d'Or Winners
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Note: Until 2021, the Ballon d'Or was given based on how well a player performed during the calendar year. Since 2022, voters have been told to consider the previous football season instead.
| Player (X) | This means how many times the player had won the award up to that point (for players who won more than once). |
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Who Won the Most Ballon d'Or Awards?
| Player | Winner | Second place | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
 Lionel Messi |
8 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023) | 5 (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017) | 1 (2007) |
 Cristiano Ronaldo |
5 (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017) | 6 (2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2018) | 1 (2019) |
 Michel Platini |
3 (1983, 1984, 1985) | 2 (1977, 1980) | |
 Johan Cruyff |
3 (1971, 1973, 1974) | 1 (1975) | |
| Marco van Basten |
3 (1988, 1989, 1992) | ||
 Franz Beckenbauer |
2 (1972, 1976) | 2 (1974, 1975) | 1 (1966) |
 Ronaldo |
2 (1997, 2002) | 1 (1996) | 1 (1998) |
 Alfredo Di Stéfano |
2 (1957, 1959) | 1 (1956) | |
 Kevin Keegan |
2 (1978, 1979) | 1 (1977) | |
| Karl-Heinz Rummenigge |
2 (1980, 1981) | 1 (1979) | |
| Luis Suárez |
1 (1960) | 2 (1961, 1964) | 1 (1965) |
| Eusébio |
1 (1965) | 2 (1962, 1966) | |
| Bobby Charlton |
1 (1966) | 2 (1967, 1968) | |
 Raymond Kopa |
1 (1958) | 1 (1959) | 2 (1956, 1957) |
| Gerd Müller |
1 (1970) | 1 (1972) | 2 (1969, 1973) |
| Zinedine Zidane |
1 (1998) | 1 (2000) | 1 (1997) |
 Gianni Rivera |
1 (1969) | 1 (1963) | |
| Ruud Gullit |
1 (1987) | 1 (1988) | |
| Lothar Matthäus |
1 (1990) | 1 (1991) | |
| Roberto Baggio |
1 (1993) | 1 (1994) | |
 Hristo Stoichkov |
1 (1994) | 1 (1992) | |
 Andriy Shevchenko |
1 (2004) | 2 (1999, 2000) | |
 George Best |
1 (1968) | 1 (1971) | |
 Allan Simonsen |
1 (1977) | 1 (1983) | |
| Ronaldinho |
1 (2005) | 1 (2004) | |
| Stanley Matthews |
1 (1956) | ||
| Omar Sívori |
1 (1961) | ||
 Josef Masopust |
1 (1962) | ||
 Lev Yashin |
1 (1963) | ||
 Denis Law |
1 (1964) | ||
 Flórián Albert |
1 (1967) | ||
| Oleg Blokhin |
1 (1975) | ||
| Paolo Rossi |
1 (1982) | ||
| Igor Belanov |
1 (1986) | ||
| Jean-Pierre Papin |
1 (1991) | ||
 George Weah |
1 (1995) | ||
| Matthias Sammer |
1 (1996) | ||
| Rivaldo |
1 (1999) | ||
| Luís Figo |
1 (2000) | ||
| Michael Owen |
1 (2001) | ||
| Pavel Nedvěd |
1 (2003) | ||
| Fabio Cannavaro |
1 (2006) | ||
| Kaká |
1 (2007) | ||
 Luka Modrić |
1 (2018) | ||
 Karim Benzema |
1 (2022) | ||
| Rodri |
1 (2024) |
How Many Ballon d'Or Wins by Country?
| Country | Players | Wins |
|---|---|---|
 Argentina |
1 | 8 |
 France |
5 | 7 |
 Germany |
5 | 7 |
 Netherlands |
3 | 7 |
 Portugal |
3 | 7 |
 Italy |
5 | 5 |
| Brazil |
4 | 5 |
 England |
4 | 5 |
 Spain |
3 | 4 |
 Soviet Union |
3 | 3 |
 Bulgaria |
1 | 1 |
 Croatia |
1 | 1 |
 Czech Republic |
1 | 1 |
| Czechoslovakia |
1 | 1 |
 Denmark |
1 | 1 |
 Hungary |
1 | 1 |
 Liberia |
1 | 1 |
 Northern Ireland |
1 | 1 |
 Scotland |
1 | 1 |
 Ukraine |
1 | 1 |
Which Clubs Have the Most Ballon d'Or Winners?
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| Club | Players | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid |
8 | 12 |
| Barcelona |
6 | 12 |
| Juventus |
6 | 8 |
| Milan |
6 | 8 |
| Bayern Munich |
3 | 5 |
| Manchester United |
4 | 4 |
| Dynamo Kyiv |
2 | 2 |
| Inter Milan |
2 | 2 |
| Hamburger SV |
1 | 2 |
| Ajax |
1 | 1 |
| Benfica |
1 | 1 |
| Blackpool |
1 | 1 |
| Borussia Dortmund |
1 | 1 |
| Borussia Mönchengladbach |
1 | 1 |
| Dukla Prague |
1 | 1 |
 Dynamo Moscow |
1 | 1 |
| Ferencváros |
1 | 1 |
 Inter Miami |
1 | 1 |
| Liverpool |
1 | 1 |
| Manchester City |
1 | 1 |
| Marseille |
1 | 1 |
| Paris Saint-Germain |
1 | 1 |
More Cool Awards
Besides the main Ballon d'Or, France Football also gives out other special awards.
Seasonal Awards
These awards are given out each season.
Ballon d'Or Féminin
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This award started in 2018. It honors the best female football player of the season.
Kopa Trophy
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Since 2018, France Football has given the Kopa Trophy to the best player under 21 years old. This award is named after Raymond Kopa, who won the Ballon d'Or in 1958 Ballon d'Or.
Yashin Trophy
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The Yashin Trophy started in 2019. It's given to the best goalkeeper of the season. The award is named after Lev Yashin, a famous Soviet goalkeeper who won the Ballon d'Or in 1963 Ballon d'Or.
Gerd Müller Trophy
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In 2021, France Football gave Robert Lewandowski a "Striker of the Year" award for scoring the most goals. After Gerd Müller passed away in 2021, the award was renamed the Gerd Müller Trophy for the 2022 awards.
Sócrates Award
Since 2022, France Football has given out the Sócrates Award. This award celebrates footballers who do great humanitarian work. It's named after the late Brazilian footballer Sócrates, who helped start a movement against the military government in Brazil in the 1980s.
Men's Club of the Year
The Men's Club of the Year award started in 2021, with Chelsea being the first winner. Manchester City won it in 2022 and 2023. Real Madrid won the most recent award in 2024.
Women's Club of the Year
The Women's Club of the Year award began in 2023. FC Barcelona Femení won it in both 2023 and 2024.
Men's Coach of the Year
The Men's Coach of the Year award was first given in 2024. The first winner was Carlo Ancelotti, who coaches Real Madrid.
Women's Coach of the Year
The Women's Coach of the Year award also started in 2024. The first person to receive it was Emma Hayes, who coached both Chelsea and the United States national team.
Special Awards
These are unique awards given out for special achievements.
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Super Ballon d'Or
The Super Ballon d'Or is an honorary award. It was given to Alfredo Di Stéfano in 1989. He was chosen as the best multiple-time Ballon d'Or winner, beating out Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini.
Diego Maradona also received an honorary Ballon d'Or in 1995, called the Golden Ballon d'Or, for his amazing contributions to football. Pelé received a similar special award called the FIFA Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur at the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or ceremony.
Football Player of the Century
In 1999, France Football asked former Ballon d'Or winners to vote for the Football Player of the Century. Pelé was chosen as the greatest player of all time. He received almost double the points of Diego Maradona, who came in second.
| Player | Pts | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelé |
122 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Diego Maradona |
65 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Johan Cruyff |
62 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 2 |
| Alfredo Di Stéfano |
44 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Michel Platini |
40 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
Le nouveau palmarès (The New List)
For the 60th anniversary of the Ballon d'Or in 2016, France Football looked back at the awards given before 1995. Remember, only European players could win back then. They figured out that 12 of those 39 awards would have gone to South American players if the rules were global from the start. This includes Pelé (seven times!), Diego Maradona (twice!), Garrincha, Mario Kempes, and Romário. However, the original winners still keep their awards.
| Year | Original winner | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Raymond Kopa |
 Pelé |
| 1959 | Alfredo Di Stéfano |
Pelé |
| 1960 | Luis Suárez |
 Pelé |
| 1961 | Omar Sívori |
Pelé |
| 1962 | Josef Masopust |
Garrincha |
| 1963 | Lev Yashin |
Pelé |
| 1964 | Denis Law |
Pelé |
| 1970 | Gerd Müller |
 Pelé |
| 1978 | Kevin Keegan |
Mario Kempes |
| 1986 | Igor Belanov |
Diego Maradona |
| 1990 | Lothar Matthäus |
Diego Maradona |
| 1994 | Hristo Stoichkov |
Romário |
Ballon d'Or Dream Team
In December 2020, France Football created the Ballon d'Or Dream Team. This is an all-time dream team of the greatest football players ever. They also published a second and third team.
| Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Team | |||
| Lev Yashin |
Cafu Franz Beckenbauer Paolo Maldini |
Xavi Lothar Matthäus Diego Maradona Pelé |
Lionel Messi Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo |
| Second Team | |||
| Gianluigi Buffon |
Carlos Alberto Franco Baresi Roberto Carlos |
Andrea Pirlo Frank Rijkaard Zinedine Zidane Alfredo Di Stéfano |
Garrincha Johan Cruyff Ronaldinho |
| Third Team | |||
| Manuel Neuer |
Philipp Lahm Sergio Ramos Paul Breitner |
Johan Neeskens Didi Michel Platini Andrés Iniesta |
George Best Marco van Basten Thierry Henry |
Images for kids
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Ballon d'Or trophy, known at the time as the FIFA Ballon d'Or
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Gianni Rivera hoisting the 1969 Ballon d'Or.
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Lionel Messi won the most Ballons d'Or in history, with eight wins in three different decades. He is also the record holder for most consecutive wins, with four between 2009 and 2012.
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Cristiano Ronaldo has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or a record eighteen times, and is a five-time winner.
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Stanley Matthews was the inaugural recipient of the award, and the oldest player to ever win it.
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Luis Suárez was the first midfielder to ever win the award.
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Lev Yashin is the only goalkeeper to win the award.
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Johan Cruyff was the first player to win the award three times.
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Franz Beckenbauer is the only defender to win the award twice.
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George Weah—the only African recipient—was the first non-European to win the award.
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Two-time winner Ronaldo is the youngest player to ever win the award.
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Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Lionel Messi (right) won thirteen Ballon d'Or trophies between them from 2008 to 2023.
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Karl-Heinz Rummenigge won the award back-to-back in 1980 and 1981.
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Michel Platini won the award three years running from 1983 to 1985.
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Ballon d'Or winners (left to right) Andriy Shevchenko, Oleg Blokhin, and Igor Belanov.
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One of Lionel Messi's awards—displayed at the FC Barcelona Museum.
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Marco van Basten (left) and Ruud Gullit (right), teammates for Milan and the Netherlands, won in consecutive years from 1987 to 1989.
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Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí have won the Ballon d'Or Féminin a record two times.
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Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí have won the Ballon d'Or Féminin a record two times.
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Kylian Mbappé was the inaugural winner of the Kopa Trophy.
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Emiliano Martínez won the Yashin Trophy a record two times.
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Robert Lewandowski won the Gerd Müller Trophy back-to-back in 2021 and 2022.
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Pelé was voted Football Player of the Century in 1999. He was also the recipient of the FIFA Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur in 2013, and in 2020 he was selected to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team.
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Diego Maradona was honoured with the Golden Ballon d'Or in 1995 and he was also selected to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team.
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Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alfredo Di Stéfano was awarded the Super Ballon d'Or in 1989.
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Paolo Maldini was one of the defenders named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team.
See also
In Spanish: Balón de Oro para niños
