The Ballon d'Or is an annual award given to the best male football player as voted by journalists. It has been awarded since 1956 by France Football magazine. Between 2010-2015, it was merged with FIFA's award but they have since been separated again. Lionel Messi has won it 6 times while Cristiano Ronaldo has 5 wins, making them the most decorated players. Only one goalkeeper, Lev Yashin, and one African, George Weah, have ever won it.

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Ballon d'Or
The Ballon d'Or "Golden Ball" is an annual football award presented by the French
news magazine France Football that is one of the oldest and generally regarded as the
most prestigious individual award for football players.
It has been awarded since 1956, although between 2010 and 2015, an agreement was
made with FIFA, and the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Player of
the Year (founded in 1991) and known as the FIFA Ballon d'Or. However, the
partnership ended in 2016, and the award reverted to the Ballon d'Or, while FIFA also
reverted to its own separate annual award The Best FIFA Men's Player. The recipients
of the joint FIFA Ballon d'Or are considered as winners by both award organisations.
Conceived by sports writer Gabriel Hanot, the Ballon d'Or award honours 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 only for players
from Europe and widely known as the European Footballer of the Year award. In 1995,
the Ballon d'Or was expanded to include all players from any origin that have been

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active at European clubs. The award became a global prize in 2007 with all professional
footballers from around the world being eligible
HISTORY
Stanley Matthews of Blackpool was the introductory winner of the Ballon d'Or. Prior to
2007, the award was generally known as the continental European Footballer of the
Year award in English language and much international media. Even after 2007, it was
usually identified with and referred to by that name because of its origin as a European
award, until it was merged with FIFA's World Player award cementing its new
worldwide claim. Milan's George Weah, the only African recipient, became the first
non-European to win the award in 1995, the year that rules of eligibility were changed
for the first time. Ronaldo of Internationale became the first South American winner
two years later. The second rule change in 2007 to include players from all continents
did not bring up new winners, as all recipients since then have still exclusively been
active in Europe during their win.

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The most important Ballon d’Or winners
During the following years, many players were awarded the golden ball to get it more
than once. In the current ranking there are 5 players who stand out for having won the
golden ball more times than the others:
1. Lionel Messi
The Argentine football player works as a striker and won the golden ball 6 times, always
playing for FC Barcelona where he formed his entire career as a professional. For years
Messi was considered one of the best players of the current century due to his speed
to generate chances in an attack which led him to obtain this distinction 5 times during
the years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese Ronaldo had a successful career in which he was awarded 5 times with
the Ballon d’Or. He serves as a center forward and left-winger is characterized by
having an excellent shot at the goal. His large number of trophies won as a player, led
him to win 5 gold balls in the years 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017 marking the last 5
years as the best moment in his career.

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3. Marco Van Basten
The Dutchman retired a long time ago, continues to integrate the ranking due to the
great brand he produced in football worldwide. His great performance in the field gave
him the luxury of receiving 3 gold balls in the years 1988, 1989 and 1992.
4. Johan Cruyff
Another great Dutch legend that was awarded 3 times with this award was the great
Cruyff who left a mark in the hearts of football fans due to his unique ability at the
time of mastering the ball that left him this award in 1971, 1973 and 1974.
5. Michel Platini
The Frenchman was considered one of the best players in the 80s, where he
demonstrated his full potential as a footballer and received, consecutively, his three
golden balls in 1983, 1984 and 1985.

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Between 2010 and 2015 inclusive, the award was merged with a similar one, the FIFA
World Player of the Year award, to create the FIFA Ballon d'Or, which was awarded to
the world's best male player before FIFA and France Football decided not to continue
the merging agreement. After 2011, UEFA created the UEFA Best Player in Europe
Award to maintain the tradition of the original Ballon d'Or of specifically honouring a
football player from Europe.
Eight players (Bobby Charlton, Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Paolo Rossi, Zinedine
Zidane, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, and Kaká) have won the FIFA World Cup, the European
Cup/UEFA Champions League, and the Ballon d'Or during their careers.
The award shows a bias in favor of attacking players, which has increased in recent
decades. Over time, the award has gone to a more exclusive set of leagues and
clubs. Prior to 1995, 10 leagues supplied Ballon d'Or winners, whereas only England,
Germany, Italy, and Spain have supplied winners since 1995. Spain's La Liga has the
most Ballon d'Or winners. Barcelona and Real Madrid have supplied the most Ballon
d'Or winners since 1995.

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In 2020, the Group L'Équipe, to which France Football belongs, decided that no award
would be given for the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic cutting short the seasons
of football clubs worldwide.
 The first ever Ballon d'Or was won by an English player
Stanley Matthews
Only 4 English players have ever won the coveted trophy, with Michael Owen being the
last Englishman to claim the honor in 2001.
But it might be surprising to know that the inaugural winner of the Ballon d'Or was
Blackpool's Stanley Matthews.
 Barcelona is the most successful club at the Ballon d'Or

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Players from Barcelona have claimed the Ballon d'Or more times than any other club in
the world. As of last year, Barcelona players were named the winners of the award a
record 11 times.
 Only one goalkeeper has won the award so far
Lev Yashin isconsideredasthe best
goalkeeper in the history of the sport.
Lev Yashin, who is often credited as the player who revolutionized the role of the
goalkeeper in modern football, was voted as the Ballon d'Or winner in 1963 ahead of
the likes of Eusebio and Jimmy Greaves, who is Tottenham Hotspur's all-time leading
goal scorer.
 George Weah is the only African player to have won the award
To this date, only one African player has claimed the Ballon d'Or. It was George Weah
who was voted as the best player in Europe when he was playing for AC Milan.

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List of Men's Ballon d'Or award winners the last 20 years
year player Nationality club
2020 not awarded
2019 Lionel Messi Argentina Barcelona
2018 Luka Modric Croatia Real Madrid
2017 Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Real Madrid
2016 Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Real Madrid
2015 Lionel Messi Argentina Barcelona
2014 Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Real Madrid
2013 Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Real Madrid
2012 Lionel Messi Argentina Barcelona
2011 Lionel Messi Argentina Barcelona

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2010 Lionel Messi Argentina Barcelona
2009 Lionel Messi Argentina Barcelona
2008 Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Manchester United
2007 Kaká Brazil Milan
2006 Fabio Cannavaro Italy Real Madrid
2005 Ronaldinho Brazil Barcelona
2004 Andriy Shevchenko Ukraine Milan
2003 Pavel Nedvěd Czech Republic Juventus
2002 Ronaldo Brazil Real Madrid
2001 Michael Owen England Liverpool
2000 Luís Figo Portugal Real Madrid