# The players with the most Ballons d'Or

The biggest winners of France Football's Ballon d'Or, with the years of each award, plus the other best-remembered winners (Brazilians included), up to the 2025 edition.

- 7 votes · 23 items
- Feb 16, 2026 · Ana Freitas
- https://even.best/en/l/522/the-players-with-the-most-ballons-d-or

## Top 20

1. **Lionel Messi** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Argentina. 8 Ballons d'Or: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023. The all-time record holder; also runner-up five times.
2. **Cristiano Ronaldo** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Portugal. 5 Ballons d'Or: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017. And runner-up six times.
3. **Michel Platini** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — France. 3 Ballons d'Or: 1983, 1984, 1985. Three in a row, with Juventus.
4. **Johan Cruyff** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Netherlands. 3 Ballons d'Or: 1971, 1973, 1974.
5. **George Weah** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Liberia. 1 Ballon d'Or: 1995. The only African winner; he later became president of Liberia.
6. **Luka Modrić** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Croatia. 1 Ballon d'Or: 2018. Broke ten years of Messi and Ronaldo dominance.
7. **Gerd Müller** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Germany. 1 Ballon d'Or: 1970.
8. **Marco van Basten** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Netherlands. 3 Ballons d'Or: 1988, 1989, 1992.
9. **Franz Beckenbauer** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Germany. 2 Ballons d'Or: 1972, 1976.
10. **Ronaldo Nazário** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Brazil. 2 Ballons d'Or: 1997, 2002. The first Brazilian winner, in 1997, with Inter Milan.
11. **Alfredo Di Stéfano** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Argentina and Spain. 2 Ballons d'Or: 1957, 1959.
12. **Kevin Keegan** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — England. 2 Ballons d'Or: 1978, 1979. Won both while playing for Hamburg.
13. **Karl-Heinz Rummenigge** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Germany. 2 Ballons d'Or: 1980, 1981.
14. **Ronaldinho** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Brazil. 1 Ballon d'Or: 2005. With Barcelona.
15. **Kaká** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Brazil. 1 Ballon d'Or: 2007. With Milan; the last before the Messi-Ronaldo era.
16. **Rivaldo** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Brazil. 1 Ballon d'Or: 1999. With Barcelona.
17. **Zinedine Zidane** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — France. 1 Ballon d'Or: 1998. The year France won the World Cup.
18. **Lev Yashin** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Soviet Union. 1 Ballon d'Or: 1963. The only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or.
19. **Karim Benzema** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — France. 1 Ballon d'Or: 2022.
20. **Rodri** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Spain. 1 Ballon d'Or: 2024. With Manchester City.
21. **Ousmane Dembélé** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — France. 1 Ballon d'Or: 2025. After PSG's first Champions League title.
22. **Eusébio** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Portugal. 1 Ballon d'Or: 1965.
23. **Roberto Baggio** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Italy. 1 Ballon d'Or: 1993.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.