Seventy years of winners, and the gap between a one-season wonder and an eight-time champion is wider than any trophy cabinet suggests. The newest name has only just joined them.
1Andriy ShevchenkoAC Milan's Ukrainian striker and 2004 winner.1000pts
2Lionel MessiArgentine forward and record eight-time Ballon d'Or winner between 2009 and 2023.900pts
3Matthias SammerGerman sweeper who won in 1996 after leading Germany to the European title.868pts
4Jean-Pierre PapinMarseille's French striker and 1991 winner.833pts
5Cristiano RonaldoPortuguese forward who won five Ballon d'Ors with Manchester United and Real Madrid.800pts
6Luka ModrićCroatian midfielder who won in 2018 after leading his country to a World Cup final.763pts
7Gianni RiveraAC Milan's elegant playmaker and 1969 winner, the first Italian-born recipient.676pts
8George BestManchester United winger who won in 1968, the year United won the European Cup.625pts
9Flórián AlbertHungarian forward who won in 1967 with Ferencváros.567pts
10EusébioBenfica and Portugal striker known as the Black Panther, winner in 1965.566pts
11KakáAC Milan's Brazilian playmaker and 2007 winner, the last before the Messi-Ronaldo era.566pts
12Lothar MatthäusGerman captain who won in 1990 after lifting the World Cup.566pts
13Alfredo Di StéfanoReal Madrid's driving force of the 1950s and winner in 1957 and 1959.566pts
14Franz BeckenbauerGerman sweeper known as Der Kaiser, winner in 1972 and 1976.500pts
15Omar SívoriArgentine-Italian forward who won in 1961 with Juventus.500pts
16George WeahLiberian striker and 1995 winner, the first African to claim the award.500pts
17Karl-Heinz RummeniggeBayern Munich forward who won in 1980 and 1981.500pts
18Ruud GullitDutch powerhouse who won in 1987 in his first season at AC Milan.500pts
19Zinedine ZidaneFrench midfielder who won in 1998 after scoring twice in the World Cup final.500pts
20Bobby CharltonEngland's 1966 World Cup hero who won the Ballon d'Or that same year.500pts
21Marco van BastenDutch striker who won three Ballon d'Ors at AC Milan before injury ended his career.423pts
22Allan SimonsenDanish forward who won in 1977 with Borussia Mönchengladbach.423pts
23Oleg BlokhinDynamo Kyiv winger who won in 1975 after a Cup Winners' Cup triumph.423pts
24Pavel NedvědCzech midfielder who won in 2003 with Juventus.423pts
25Johan CruyffDutch master of Total Football and three-time winner in 1971, 1973 and 1974.423pts
26Ousmane DembéléPSG winger who won in 2025 after a treble-winning season.423pts
27Michel PlatiniFrench playmaker who won three straight Ballon d'Ors with Juventus from 1983 to 1985.423pts
28Lev YashinSoviet goalkeeper and 1963 winner, the only keeper ever to take the award.333pts
29Luís FigoPortuguese winger who won in 2000 after his move to Real Madrid.333pts
30Paolo RossiItalian striker who won in 1982 after his six goals won the World Cup.333pts
31Josef MasopustCzechoslovak midfielder who won in 1962 after reaching the World Cup final.333pts
32Fabio CannavaroItalian captain and defender who won in 2006 after lifting the World Cup.333pts
33Denis LawScottish striker who won in 1964 with Manchester United.333pts
34Hristo StoichkovBulgarian forward who won in 1994 after starring for Barcelona and at the World Cup.227pts
35Raymond KopaFrench playmaker who won in 1958 while starring for Real Madrid.227pts
36Kevin KeeganEnglish forward who won back-to-back awards with Hamburg in 1978 and 1979.227pts
37RodriManchester City and Spain midfielder who won in 2024.227pts
38Luis Suárez MiramontesBarcelona playmaker who won in 1960, Spain's only men's winner until Rodri.227pts
39RonaldinhoBrazilian magician who won in 2005 during his Barcelona peak.0pts
40Harry KaneEngland captain and Bayern Munich striker crowned the 2026 winner in London.0pts
41Ronaldo NazárioBrazilian striker who won in 1997 at 21 and again in 2002 after a World Cup comeback.0pts
42Michael OwenLiverpool striker who won in 2001 after a cup treble.0pts
43Karim BenzemaFrench striker who won in 2022 after a prolific Champions League-winning season with Real Madrid.0pts
Photo credits
- Andriy Shevchenko — Міністерство молоді та спорту України, CC BY 4.0
- Lionel Messi — Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Matthias Sammer — Harald Bischoff, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jean-Pierre Papin — Leo Medvedev/Лев Леонидович Медведев, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cristiano Ronaldo — Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Luka Modrić — Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Flórián Albert — Nationaal Archief, Den Haag, Rijksfotoarchief: Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kaká — Евгений Асмолов, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lothar Matthäus — Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Karl-Heinz Rummenigge — Michael Lucan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ruud Gullit — Barcex, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Zinedine Zidane — Christophe95, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Allan Simonsen — Lars Schmidt, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pavel Nedvěd — Pavel Lebeda, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Ousmane Dembélé — Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lev Yashin — Kroon, Ron for Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Josef Masopust — Study1919, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fabio Cannavaro — Doha Stadium Plus Qatar, CC BY 2.0
- Denis Law — Danny Molyneux, CC BY 2.0
- Hristo Stoichkov — Biser Todorov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Raymond Kopa — Unknown authorUnknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rodri — Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ronaldinho — Marcos Corrêa/PR, CC BY 2.0
- Harry Kane — Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ronaldo Nazário — Lula Oficial, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Michael Owen — David Seow, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Karim Benzema — Zack, CC BY 4.0
