@savageupdatesThe Ballon d'Or has been awarded since 1956, a timeline that France Football tracks with each entry pairing a year to a player, their national flag, and their club. The list covers winners from 1956 through 2026, and the 2020 entry is marked as no award. Starting back in 1956, Stanley Matthews of Blackpool (Great Britain) took the prize, followed by Alfredo Di Stéfano of Real Madrid (Spain) in 1957. Raymond Kopa of Real Madrid (France) won in 1958, then Di Stéfano did it again for Spain in 1959. Luis Suárez of Barcelona (Spain) was next in 1960, before Omar Sívori of Juventus (Italy) claimed it in 1961. Josef Masopust of Dukla Prague (Czechoslovakia) won in 1962, and Lev Yashin of Dynamo Moscow (Russia) took the honor in 1963. Denis Law of Manchester United (Great Britain) won in 1964, Eusébio of Benfica (Portugal) in 1965, and Bobby Charlton of Manchester United (Great Britain) in 1966. Flórián Albert of Ferencváros (Hungary) won in 1967, George Best of Manchester United (Great Britain) in 1968, and Gianni Rivera of AC Milan (Italy) in 1969. Gerd Müller of Bayern Munich (Germany) won in 1970, Johan Cruyff of Ajax (Netherlands) in 1971, Franz Beckenbauer of Bayern Munich (Germany) in 1972, and Cruyff again for Barcelona (Netherlands) in 1973 and 1974. The record continues with Oleh Blokhin of Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine) in 1975, Franz Beckenbauer of Bayern Munich (Germany) in 1976, Allan Simonsen of Borussia Mönchengladbach (Denmark) in 1977, Kevin Keegan of Hamburg (Great Britain) in 1978 and 1979, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge of Bayern Munich (Germany) in 1980 and 1981, Paolo Rossi of Juventus (Italy) in 1982, Michel Platini of Juventus (France) in 1983, 1984, and 1985, Ihor Belanov of Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine) in 1986, Ruud Gullit of AC Milan (Netherlands) in 1987, Marco van Basten of AC Milan (Netherlands) in 1988, 1989, and 1992, Lothar Matthäus of Inter Milan (Germany) in 1990, Jean-Pierre Papin of Marseille (France) in 1991, Roberto Baggio of Juventus (Italy) in 1993, Hristo Stoichkov of Barcelona (Bulgaria) in 1994, George Weah of AC Milan (Liberia) in 1995, Matthias Sammer of Borussia Dortmund (Germany) in 1996, Ronaldo of Inter Milan (Brazil) in 1997, Zinedine Zidane of Juventus (France) in 1998, Rivaldo of Barcelona (Brazil) in 1999, Luís Figo of Real Madrid (Portugal) in 2000, Michael Owen of Liverpool (Great Britain) in 2001, Ronaldo of Real Madrid (Brazil) in 2002, Pavel Nedvěd of Juventus (Czech Republic) in 2003, Andriy Shevchenko of AC Milan (Ukraine) in 2004, Ronaldinho of Barcelona (Brazil) in 2005, Fabio Cannavaro of Real Madrid (Italy) in 2006, Kaká of AC Milan (Brazil) in 2007, Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United (Portugal) in 2008, Lionel Messi of Barcelona (Argentina) in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid (Portugal) in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017, Luka Modrić of Real Madrid (Croatia) in 2018, Lionel Messi of Barcelona (Argentina) in 2019, Karim Benzema of Real Madrid (France) in 2022, Lionel Messi of Inter Miami (Argentina) in 2023, Rodri of Manchester City (Spain) in 2024, Ousmane Dembélé of Paris Saint-Germain (France) in 2025, and Harry Kane of Bayern Munich (Great Britain) in 2026.

@savageupdatesThe Ballon d'Or has been awarded since 1956, a timeline that France Football tracks with each entry pairing a year to a player, their national flag, and their club. The list covers winners from 1956 through 2026, and the 2020 entry is marked as no award. Starting back in 1956, Stanley Matthews of Blackpool (Great Britain) took the prize, followed by Alfredo Di Stéfano of Real Madrid (Spain) in 1957. Raymond Kopa of Real Madrid (France) won in 1958, then Di Stéfano did it again for Spain in 1959. Luis Suárez of Barcelona (Spain) was next in 1960, before Omar Sívori of Juventus (Italy) claimed it in 1961. Josef Masopust of Dukla Prague (Czechoslovakia) won in 1962, and Lev Yashin of Dynamo Moscow (Russia) took the honor in 1963. Denis Law of Manchester United (Great Britain) won in 1964, Eusébio of Benfica (Portugal) in 1965, and Bobby Charlton of Manchester United (Great Britain) in 1966. Flórián Albert of Ferencváros (Hungary) won in 1967, George Best of Manchester United (Great Britain) in 1968, and Gianni Rivera of AC Milan (Italy) in 1969. Gerd Müller of Bayern Munich (Germany) won in 1970, Johan Cruyff of Ajax (Netherlands) in 1971, Franz Beckenbauer of Bayern Munich (Germany) in 1972, and Cruyff again for Barcelona (Netherlands) in 1973 and 1974. The record continues with Oleh Blokhin of Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine) in 1975, Franz Beckenbauer of Bayern Munich (Germany) in 1976, Allan Simonsen of Borussia Mönchengladbach (Denmark) in 1977, Kevin Keegan of Hamburg (Great Britain) in 1978 and 1979, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge of Bayern Munich (Germany) in 1980 and 1981, Paolo Rossi of Juventus (Italy) in 1982, Michel Platini of Juventus (France) in 1983, 1984, and 1985, Ihor Belanov of Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine) in 1986, Ruud Gullit of AC Milan (Netherlands) in 1987, Marco van Basten of AC Milan (Netherlands) in 1988, 1989, and 1992, Lothar Matthäus of Inter Milan (Germany) in 1990, Jean-Pierre Papin of Marseille (France) in 1991, Roberto Baggio of Juventus (Italy) in 1993, Hristo Stoichkov of Barcelona (Bulgaria) in 1994, George Weah of AC Milan (Liberia) in 1995, Matthias Sammer of Borussia Dortmund (Germany) in 1996, Ronaldo of Inter Milan (Brazil) in 1997, Zinedine Zidane of Juventus (France) in 1998, Rivaldo of Barcelona (Brazil) in 1999, Luís Figo of Real Madrid (Portugal) in 2000, Michael Owen of Liverpool (Great Britain) in 2001, Ronaldo of Real Madrid (Brazil) in 2002, Pavel Nedvěd of Juventus (Czech Republic) in 2003, Andriy Shevchenko of AC Milan (Ukraine) in 2004, Ronaldinho of Barcelona (Brazil) in 2005, Fabio Cannavaro of Real Madrid (Italy) in 2006, Kaká of AC Milan (Brazil) in 2007, Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United (Portugal) in 2008, Lionel Messi of Barcelona (Argentina) in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid (Portugal) in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017, Luka Modrić of Real Madrid (Croatia) in 2018, Lionel Messi of Barcelona (Argentina) in 2019, Karim Benzema of Real Madrid (France) in 2022, Lionel Messi of Inter Miami (Argentina) in 2023, Rodri of Manchester City (Spain) in 2024, Ousmane Dembélé of Paris Saint-Germain (France) in 2025, and Harry Kane of Bayern Munich (Great Britain) in 2026.