# Who is the best Ballon d'Or winner of the 21st century?

> Era-defining icons, one-season wonders and a couple of winners people still argue about twenty years later. Who wore the crown best?

*By YPB Team · Published July 22, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-ballon-dor-winner-of-the-21st-century*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Lionel Messi** — score 1000/1000
   Eight Ballon d'Or wins between 2009 and 2023, the most in the award's history.
2. **Ronaldinho** — score 710/1000
   The 2005 winner whose Barcelona peak made joy itself look like a tactic.
3. **Pavel Nedvěd** — score 624/1000
   The 2003 winner, Juventus's tireless Czech playmaker.
4. **Fabio Cannavaro** — score 560/1000
   The 2006 winner, the only defender to take the award this century.
5. **Cristiano Ronaldo** — score 560/1000
   Five-time winner between 2008 and 2017 across spells at Manchester United and Real Madrid.
6. **Ronaldo Nazário** — score 485/1000
   The 2002 winner, crowned after his redemption World Cup with Brazil.
7. **Michael Owen** — score 397/1000
   The 2001 winner, Liverpool's boy-wonder striker and the pick that still divides fans.
8. **Luís Figo** — score 291/1000
   The 2000 winner, fresh off the century's most controversial transfer.
9. **Kaká** — score 291/1000
   The 2007 winner, the last before the Messi–Ronaldo era began.
10. **Andriy Shevchenko** — score 291/1000
   The 2004 winner, AC Milan's lethal Ukrainian striker.
11. **Luka Modrić** — score 162/1000
   The 2018 winner who broke the decade-long Messi–Ronaldo duopoly after a World Cup final run.
12. **Rodri** — score 162/1000
   The 2024 winner, Manchester City's metronome and now a World Cup Golden Ball holder.
13. **Karim Benzema** — score 162/1000
   The 2022 winner after carrying Real Madrid to a Champions League with a historic scoring run.

Tags: football, players, legends, ballon d'or