Ballon d'Or facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ballon d'Or |
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The Ballon d'Or trophy
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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 an award given every year to the best men's soccer player. The French magazine France Football has presented this award since 1956.
The award was created by sports writers Gabriel Hanot and Jacques Ferran. For a long time, only sports journalists voted for the winner. Originally, only players from Europe could win it, so it was often called the European Footballer of the Year award.
Over the years, the rules changed. In 1995, players from any country playing for a European club became eligible. In 2007, it became a global award for any professional player in the world. From 2010 to 2015, it was temporarily merged with FIFA's award and was called the FIFA Ballon d'Or. Now, they are separate awards again.
Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or a record eight times. Cristiano Ronaldo is next with five wins. The current winner of the award is Rodri, who won in 2024.
What is the Ballon d'Or?
The Ballon d'Or is seen as one of the most important individual awards a soccer player can receive. The first winner was Stanley Matthews from England in 1956.
For many years, only European players could win. In 1995, the rules were changed to include players of any nationality who played for a club in Europe. That year, George Weah from Liberia became the first non-European player to win. In 1997, Ronaldo from Brazil became the first South American to win. He is also the youngest winner ever, at just 21 years old.
In 2007, the award was opened up to all professional soccer players worldwide. For a while, coaches and captains of national teams were allowed to vote. Since 2016, the winner is chosen only by a group of sports journalists.
In 2022, the rules changed again. Now, the award is for a player's performance over a whole soccer season (from about August to May), not a calendar year (January to December).
How is the Winner Chosen?
Journalists vote for the winner based on three main things:
- How well the player performed on their own, and if they were a leader for their team.
- The trophies and success the player's team won.
- The player's talent and sportsmanship (playing fairly).
Winners
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Note: Until 2021, the Ballon d'Or was awarded based on player performance during the calendar year. Since 2022, it has been awarded for performance during the previous season.
| Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player had won the award at that time (for players with multiple wins) |
Records and Top Players
Who Has Won the Most 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) |
Which Countries Have the Most Wins?
| 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 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 |
| Paris Saint-Germain |
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 |
Other Ballon d'Or Awards
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Besides the main award for the best men's player, France Football also gives out other awards at the same ceremony:
- Ballon d'Or Féminin: For the best women's soccer player.
- Kopa Trophy: For the best player under the age of 21.
- Yashin Trophy: For the best goalkeeper. It is named after Lev Yashin, the only goalkeeper to ever win the main Ballon d'Or.
- Gerd Müller Trophy: For the top goalscorer of the season.
- Sócrates Award: For a player who has done amazing work to help others off the field.
- Club of the Year: For the best men's and women's soccer clubs.
- Coach of the Year: For the best men's and women's coaches.
Special Honors
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Over the years, France Football has given out a few unique, one-time awards to honor legendary players.
Super Ballon d'Or
In 1989, a very special award called the Super Ballon d'Or was given to Alfredo Di Stéfano. He was voted the best player from all the past Ballon d'Or winners.
Other legends like Diego Maradona and Pelé also received special honorary Ballon d'Or awards to celebrate their amazing careers.
The All-Time Dream Team
In 2020, France Football created the Ballon d'Or Dream Team. They asked 140 journalists from around the world to vote for the best soccer players of all time in each position, creating a fantasy team of legends. They also named 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 |
See also
In Spanish: Balón de Oro para niños
