Men's Ballon d'Or: Full List of Winners
A prestigious award given to the best men's football player in the world
The Ballon d'Or is one of the most prestigious awards in football. It is awarded annually to the player who is considered to have been the best in the world over the previous year. The award was first given in 1956, and has been won by some of the greatest players in the history of the game, including Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Diego Maradona.
The Ballon d'Or is awarded by a panel of journalists from around the world. The panel votes on a list of nominees, and the player with the most votes wins the award. The award is often controversial, and there have been many debates over who should have won in a particular year.
The 2023 Men's Ballon d'Or winner is Karim Benzema
The 2023 Men's Ballon d'Or winner is Karim Benzema. Benzema is a French footballer who plays as a striker for Real Madrid. He is one of the most decorated players in the history of the game, having won the Champions League five times, the La Liga title three times, and the Copa del Rey twice.
Benzema had a stellar year in 2022, helping Real Madrid win the Champions League and La Liga. He scored 44 goals in all competitions, and was named the UEFA Men's Player of the Year.
Full list of Men's Ballon d'Or winners
Here is a full list of Men's Ballon d'Or winners since the award was first given in 1956:
- 1956: Stanley Matthews (England)
- 1957: Alfredo Di Stéfano (Spain)
- 1958: Raymond Kopa (France)
- 1959: Alfredo Di Stéfano (Spain)
- 1960: Luis Suárez (Spain)
- 1961: Omar Sívori (Italy)
- 1962: Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia)
- 1963: Lev Yashin (Soviet Union)
- 1964: Denis Law (Scotland)
- 1965: Eusébio (Portugal)
- 1966: Bobby Charlton (England)
- 1967: Flórián Albert (Hungary)
- 1968: George Best (Northern Ireland)
- 1969: Gianni Rivera (Italy)
- 1970: Gerd Müller (West Germany)
- 1971: Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
- 1972: Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
- 1973: Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
- 1974: Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
- 1975: Oleh Blokhin (Soviet Union)
- 1976: Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
- 1977: Allan Simonsen (Denmark)
- 1978: Kevin Keegan (England)
- 1979: Kevin Keegan (England)
- 1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
- 1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
- 1982: Paolo Rossi (Italy)
- 1983: Michel Platini (France)
- 1984: Michel Platini (France)
- 1985: Michel Platini (France)
- 1986: Diego Maradona (Argentina)
- 1987: Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)
- 1988: Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
- 1989: Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
- 1990: Lothar Matthäus (West Germany)
- 1991: Jean-Pierre Papin (France)
- 1992: Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
- 1993: Roberto Baggio (Italy)
- 1994: Romário (Brazil)
- 1995: George Weah (Liberia)
- 1996: Ronaldo (Brazil)
- 1997: Ronaldo (Brazil)
- 1998: Zinédine Zidane (France)
- 1999: Rivaldo (Brazil)
- 2000: Luís Figo (Portugal)
- 2001: Michael Owen (England)
- 2002: Ronaldo (Brazil)
- 2003: Pavel Nedvěd (Czech Republic)
- 2004: Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)
- 2005: Ronaldinho (Brazil)
- 2006: Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
- 2007: Kaká (Brazil)
- 2008: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- 2009: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- 2010: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- 2011: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- 2012: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- 2013: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- 2014: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- 2015: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- 2016: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- 2017: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- 2018: Luka Modrić (Croatia)
- 2019: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- 2020: No award due to COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- 2022: Karim Benzema (France)