Ballon d’Or Winners List: Most Awards in Football History

The Ballon d’Or is known as the most prestigious individual award in football. First awarded in 1956 by France Football, it is an honor for a player who performs best in the world in a specific calendar year.

Winning this coveted trophy places the football player into the immortals of the sport. Legends such as Lev Yashin, Eusebio, Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo have all lifted the iconic golden trophy.

However, it is known that this prestigious award has been denied to some of the greatest players of all time like Pelé and Diego Maradona, owing to strict eligibility rules in years gone by.

Who Won the Most Number of Ballon d'Or Awards?

No player has ever won the most Ballon d'Or trophies ever in the history of football more than Lionel Messi.

The Argentine superstar has claimed the prestigious award eight times, a record never to be matched. Cristiano Ronaldo follows with five wins, while legends of football won it twice or thrice.

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Players with Most Ballon d'Or Wins

Ballon d’Or Winners by Year (Men’s)

The first recipient of the award was Stanley Matthews, awarded in 1956 for all-around brilliance for Blackpool and for revolutionizing wing play. Over the decades, that award has evolved together with football.

In the inittial years, it was dominated by the Real Madrid legends, and then later by famous players from Ajax, AC Milan, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United.

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Ballon d'Or Winners List (Men's)

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Influence of the Ballon d'Or Féminin: Women Winners

Initiated in 2018, the Ballon d'Or Féminin is a mammoth step towards women empowering the game of football.

The modern-age Barcelona magic is in full swing, and two stars of the generations are Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati.

Women's Ballon d'Or Winners List

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Conclusion

From Stanley Matthews in 1956 to Ousmane Dembele in 2025, the Ballon d'Or has documented football history through the most splendid of talents. Legends, like Pelé, may never have lifted it but have defined, in the present, what the modern icon, Lionel Messi, embodies.

The Ballon d'Or continues to remain that final individual prize as the game progresses, embodying greatness, dominance, and immortality in the beautiful game.