Who has won the most Ballon d’Or awards? All-time winners

The shortlist of nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or has been released, which will no doubt lead many interested parties scurrying for the Internet to relive glories past.

Who else has won the Ballon d’Or? Who has won it the most?

Only 10 players have won multiple Ballons d’Or and only five claimed the honor thrice or more.

[ MORE: Ballon d’Or Feminin 2023 shortlist, all-time history ]

Lionel Messi (7) and Cristiano Ronaldo (5) have accounted for 18% of Ballons d’Or, while the lion’s share of the winners have hailed from Europe.

European players have won 53 Ballon d’Or awards, with South America claiming 12 between Argentina and Brazil. George Weah has Africa’s only Ballon d’Or, while no North American or Asian has earned enough votes to be counted a winner.

In fact, Sadio Mane (2nd, 2022) and Weah (1st, 1995) are the only other players from outside Europe and South America to finish in the top three amongst vote-getters in a single year.

Ballon d’Or winners by year

2022: Karim Benzema2021: Lionel Messi2020: not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic2019: Lionel Messi2018: Luka Modric2017: Cristiano Ronaldo2016: Cristiano Ronaldo2015: Lionel Messi2014: Cristiano Ronaldo2013: Cristiano Ronaldo2012: Lionel Messi2011: Lionel Messi2010: Lionel Messi2009: Lionel Messi2008: Cristiano Ronaldo2007: Kaka2006: Fabio Cannavaro2005: Ronaldinho2004: Andriy Shevchenko2003: Pavel Nedved2002: Ronaldo Nizario2001: Michael Owen2000: Luis Figo1999: Rivaldo1998: Zinedine Zidane1997: Ronaldo Nizario1996: Matthias Sammer1995: George Weah1994: Hristo Stoichkov1993: Roberto Baggio1992: Marco van Basten1991: Jean-Pierre Papin1990: Lothar Matthaus1989: Marco van Basten1988: Marco van Basten1987: Ruud Gullit1986: Igor Belanov1985: Michel Platini1984: Michel Platini1983: Michel Platini1982: Paolo Rossi1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge1979: Kevin Keegan1978: Kevin Keegan1977: Allan Simonsen1976: Franz Beckenbauer1975: Oleg Blokhin1974: Johan Cruyff1973: Johan Cruyff1972: Franz Beckenbauer1971: Johan Cruyff1970: Gerd Muller1969: Gianni Rivera1968: George Best1967: Florian Albert1966: Bobby Charlton1965: Eusebio1964: Denis Law1963: Lev Yashin1962: Josef Masopust1961: Omar Sivori1960: Luis Suarez1959: Alfredo Di Stefano1958: Raymond Kopa1957: Alfredo Di Stefano1956: Stanley Matthews

Who has won the most Ballons d’Or all-time?