The brainchild of France Football magazine journalist Gabriel Hanot, the Ballon d’Or is widely seen as the most prestigious award in the footballing calendar.

Between 1956 and 1995 the “Golden Ball” trophy was awarded to the best European player each year before a change of rules meant any footballer based in Europe was eligible.

The award was then opened to players in any league across the world in 2007 before being merged with the rival Fifa Player of the Year in 2010.

The two trophies went their separate ways again in 2016, with Fifa creating their own “The Best” award, but the Ballon d’Or, voted by journalists across the world, is still widely seen as the pinnacle.

Stanley Matthews of Blackpool and England was the inaugural winner while Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the 21st century, winning 13 times between them.

A women’s award – the Ballon d’Or Feminin – was also introduced in 2018, with Spanish duo Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati each winning three times.

Harry Kane was crowned men’s Ballon d’Or winner in 2026, becoming the first English player to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001.

The full list of Ballon d’Or winners from 1956 to the present day:

• 1956: Stanley Matthews (Blackpool)
• 1957: Alfredo Di Stefano (Real Madrid)
• 1958: Raymond Kopa (Real Madrid)
• 1959: Alfredo Di Stefano (Real Madrid)
• 1960: Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
• 1961: Omar Sivori (Juventus)
• 1962: Josef Masopust (Dukla Prague)
• 1963: Lev Yashin (Dynamo Moscow)
• 1964: Denis Law (Manchester United)
• 1965: Eusebio (Benfica)
• 1966: Bobby Charlton (Manchester United)
• 1967: Florian Albert (Ferencvaros)
• 1968: George Best (Manchester United)
• 1969: Gianni Rivera (AC Milan)
• 1970: Gerd Muller (Bayern Munich)
• 1971: Johan Cruyff (Ajax)
• 1972: Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich)
• 1973: Johan Cruyff (Barcelona)
• 1974: Johan Cruyff (Barcelona)
• 1975: Oleg Blokhin (Dynamo Kyiv)
• 1976: Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich)
• 1977: Allan Simonsen (Borussia Monchengladbach)
• 1978: Kevin Keegan (Hamburg)
• 1979: Kevin Keegan (Hamburg)
• 1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern Munich)
• 1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern Munich)
• 1982: Paolo Rossi (Juventus)
• 1983: Michel Platini (Juventus)
• 1984: Michel Platini (Juventus)
• 1985: Michel Platini (Juventus)
• 1986: Igor Belanov (Dynamo Kyiv)
• 1987: Ruud Gullit (AC Milan)
• 1988: Marco van Basten (AC Milan)
• 1989: Marco van Basten (AC Milan)
• 1990: Lothar Matthaus (Internazionale)
• 1991: Jean-Pierre Papin (Marseille)
• 1992: Marco van Basten (AC Milan)
• 1993: Roberto Baggio (Juventus)
• 1994: Hristo Stoichkov (Barcelona)
• 1995: George Weah (AC Milan)
• 1996: Matthias Sammer (Borussia Dortmund)
• 1997: Ronaldo (Internazionale)
• 1998: Zinedine Zidane (Juventus)
• 1999: Rivaldo (Barcelona)
• 2000: Luis Figo (Real Madrid)
• 2001: Michael Owen (Liverpool)
• 2002: Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
• 2003: Pavel Nedved (Juventus)
• 2004: Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan)
• 2005: Ronaldinho (Barcelona)
• 2006: Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid)
• 2007: Kaka (Milan)
• 2008: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
• 2009: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
• 2010: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
• 2011: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
• 2012: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
• 2013: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
• 2014: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
• 2015: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
• 2016: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
• 2017: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
• 2018: Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
• 2019: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
• 2020: Cancelled because of Covid-19
• 2021: Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
• 2022: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
• 2023: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
• 2024: Rodri (Man City)
• 2025: Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain)
• 2026: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)

Ballon d’Or Feminin winners from 2018 to the present day

• 2018: Ada Hegerberg (Lyon)
• 2019: Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign)
• 2020: Cancelled because of Covid-19
• 2021: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
• 2022: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
• 2023: Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)
• 2024: Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)
• 2025: Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)
• 2026: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)