Lionel Messi Bags Ballon d’Or Number 7, Plus All Winners List (1956 – 2021)
Conceived by sports
writer Gabriel Hanot, the Ballon d’Or award originally honoured the male player
deemed to have performed the best over the previous year, based on voting by
football journalists, from 1956 to 2006.
After 2007,
coaches and captains of national teams were also given the right to vote.
Originally it was an award for players from Europe. In 1995 the Ballon d’Or was expanded to include all players from any
origin that have been active at European clubs. The award became a global prize
in 2007 with all professional footballers from around the world being eligible.
Following stellar campaign for Argentina at the Copa
America in 2021, Lionel Messi scooped his record-breaking seventh career Ballon
d’Or. The Argentine managed five goals and four assists in the Copa America,
leading the country to glory.
In 2018 a Women’s Ballon d’Or was introduced. It was first awarded to Ada Hegerberg of Norway becoming the inaugural recipient of the award. The 2021 Women’s Ballon d’Or was awarded to FC Barcelona Captain Alexia Putellas who was remarkable as the Catalans won the Champions League.
Ballon d’Or All Winners List (1956 – 2021)
Year | Player | Nationality | Club |
2021 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | PSG |
2020 | Not |
|
|
2019 | Lionel | Argentina | FC |
2018 | Luka | Croatia | Real |
2017 | Cristiano | Portugal | Real |
2016 | Cristiano | Portugal | Real |
2015 | Lionel | Argentina | FC |
2014 | Cristiano | Portugal | Real |
2013 | Cristiano | Portugal | Real |
2012 | Lionel | Argentina | FC |
2011 | Lionel | Argentina | FC |
2010 | Lionel | Argentina | FC |
2009 | Lionel | Argentina | FC |
2008 | Cristiano | Portugal | Manchester |
2007 | Ricardo | Brazil | Milan |
2006 | Fabio | Italy | Real |
2005 | Ronaldinho | Brazil | FC |
2004 | Andriy | Ukraine | Milan |
2003 | Pavel | Czech | Juventus |
2002 | Ronaldo | Brazil | Real |
2001 | Michael | England | Liverpool |
2000 | Luis | Portugal | Real |
1999 | Rivaldo | Brazil | FC |
1998 | Zinedine | France | Juventus |
1997 | Ronaldo | Brazil | Internazionale |
1996 | Matthias | Germany | Borussia |
1995 | George | Liberia | Milan |
1994 | Hristo | Bulgaria | FC |
1993 | Roberto | Italy |
|
1992 | Marco | Netherlands | Milan |
1991 | Jean-Pierre | France | Marseille |
1990 | Lothar | Germany | Internazionale |
1989 | Marco | Netherlands | Milan |
1988 | Marco | Netherlands | Milan |
1987 | Ruud | Netherlands | Milan |
1986 | Igor | Soviet | Dynamo |
1985 | Michel | France | Juventus |
1984 | Michel | France | Juventus |
1983 | Michel | France | Juventus |
1982 | Paolo | Italy | Juventus |
1981 | Karl-Heinz | West | Bayern |
1980 | Karl-Heinz | West | Bayern |
1979 | Kevin | England | Hamburg |
1978 | Kevin | England | Hamburg |
1977 | Allan | Denmark | Borussia |
1976 | Franz | West | Bayern |
1975 | Oleg | Soviet | Dynamo |
1974 | Johan | Netherlands | Ajax |
1973 | Johan | Netherlands | Ajax |
1972 | Franz | West | Bayern |
1971 | Johan | Netherlands | Ajax |
1970 | Gerd | West | Bayern |
1969 | Gianni | Italy | Milan |
1968 | George Best | Northern | Manchester |
1967 | Florian | Hungary | Ferencv |
1966 | Bobby | England | Manchester |
1965 | Eusebio | Portugal | Benfica |
1964 | Dennis | Scotland | Manchester |
1963 | Lev | Soviet | Dynamo |
1962 | Josef | Czechoslovakia | Dukla |
1961 | Omar | Italy | Juventus |
1960 | Luis | Spain | FC Barcelona |
1959 | Alfredo | Spain | Real |
1958 | Raymond | France | Real |
1957 | Alfredo | Spain | Real |
1956 | Stanley | England | Blackpool |