Every winner, and the awards that ran alongside it.
The Ballon d'Or has been running since 1956 and has changed its eligibility rules twice in ways that make the early list incomparable with the recent one. Until 1995 it was open only to European players; until 2007, only to players at European clubs. Both restrictions are why several of the best players of the twentieth century never won it, and why comparisons across eras are a bad idea.
For most of the 1990s and 2000s it also ran alongside a separate FIFA award with a different electorate — journalists for one, national team coaches and captains for the other — and the two frequently disagreed. They merged in 2010 and split again in 2016, which means some years have one clear world player of the year and some have two.
The winners of both are collected here, along with the voting margins, the ceremonies and the details that only turn up when you read past the name.
Play the the ballon d'or and the world player awards quizEvery answer below is quoted from the page it came from. Where a claim could not be confirmed against a source, it was left out rather than guessed at.
Wikipedia's article on the 1991 Ballon d'Or notes that Jean-Pierre Papin was the third French national to win it, after Michel Platini. Which other Frenchman is named, and with which winning year?
Raymond Kopa (1958)
Papin was the third French national to win the award after Raymond Kopa (1958) and Michel Platini (1983, 1984 and 1985). source
In the 1992 Ballon d'Or voting, who finished second behind Marco van Basten, and on how many points?
Hristo Stoichkov of Barcelona, on 80 points
2 Hristo Stoichkov Barcelona 80 source
Who placed third in the 1993 Ballon d'Or vote won by Roberto Baggio, and on how many points?
Eric Cantona of Manchester United, on 34 points
3 Eric Cantona Manchester United 34 source
Wikipedia notes that 1994 winner Hristo Stoichkov was the third Barcelona player to take the trophy, after Johan Cruyff. Which earlier Barcelona winner is named alongside him?
Luis Suárez (1960)
He was the third Barcelona player to win the trophy after Luis Suárez (1960), and Johan Cruyff (1973, 1974). source
George Weah won the 1995 Ballon d'Or with 144 points. Who was the runner-up, and on how many points?
Jürgen Klinsmann of Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich, on 108 points
2 Jürgen Klinsmann Tottenham Hotspur Bayern Munich 108 source
On which date was the 1996 Ballon d'Or awarded to Matthias Sammer?
24 December 1996
The 1996 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in Europe as judged by a panel of sports journalists from UEFA member countries, was awarded to Matthias Sammer on 24 December 1996. source
Ronaldo won the 1997 Ballon d'Or with 222 points. Who finished second, and on how many points?
Predrag Mijatović of Real Madrid, on 68 points
2 Predrag Mijatović Real Madrid 68 source
For the 1998 Ballon d'Or won by Zinedine Zidane, on which date was the France Football shortlist of 50 male players announced?
10 November 1998
On 10 November 1998, the shortlist of 50 male players compiled by a group of experts from France Football was announced. source
On which date was the 1999 Ballon d'Or awarded to Rivaldo?
21 December 1999
The 1999 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in Europe as judged by a panel of sports journalists from UEFA member countries, was awarded to Rivaldo on 21 December 1999. source
Luís Figo won the 2000 Ballon d'Or on 197 points. How many points did the second-placed Zinedine Zidane record?
181 points
2 Zinedine Zidane Juventus 181 source
Michael Owen won the 2001 Ballon d'Or. Who finished third in that vote, and on how many points?
Oliver Kahn of Bayern Munich, on 114 points
3 Oliver Kahn Bayern Munich 114 source
Wikipedia lists 2002 winner Ronaldo as the fourth Real Madrid player to take the trophy. Which of the named predecessors won it most recently before him?
Luís Figo, in 2000
He was also the fourth Real Madrid player to win the trophy after Alfredo Di Stéfano (1957, 1959), Raymond Kopa (1958), and Luís Figo (2000). source
In the 2003 Ballon d'Or won by Pavel Nedvěd, Gianluigi Buffon was the highest-ranked goalkeeper. Where did he finish overall?
Ninth
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy) was the top ranked goalkeeper in the list, in ninth place. source
The 2004 Ballon d'Or article calls Andriy Shevchenko the third Ukrainian winner. Which of the earlier Ukrainian winners is listed with a 1986 win?
Igor Belanov
Andriy Shevchenko was the third Ukrainian to win the award after Oleh Blokhin (1975) and Igor Belanov (1986). source
Ronaldinho won the 2005 Ballon d'Or with 50 points. Who finished second, and on how many points?
Frank Lampard of Chelsea, on 45 points
2nd Frank Lampard Chelsea 45 source
Fabio Cannavaro won the 2006 Ballon d'Or with 173 points. Who finished third, and on how many points?
Thierry Henry of Arsenal, on 121 points
3rd Thierry Henry Arsenal 121 source
How many points did Kaká receive in winning the 2007 Ballon d'Or?
445 points
1 Kaká Milan 445 source
On which date was the 2008 Ballon d'Or awarded?
2 December 2008
The 2008 Ballon d'Or (lit. '2008 Golden Ball'), given to the best football player in the world as judged by an international panel of sports journalists, was awarded on 2 December 2008. source
By what margin did Lionel Messi finish ahead of second-placed Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2009 Ballon d'Or?
240 points
Messi won the award by a then record margin, 240 points ahead of 2008 winner Cristiano Ronaldo. source
What share of the vote did Lionel Messi take in winning the inaugural 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or?
22.65%
1st Lionel Messi Barcelona 22.65% source
On which date were the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or awards handed out in Zürich?
9 January 2012
The awards were given out in Zürich on 9 January 2012 source
Besides the winner Lionel Messi, which two players made the final three for the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or?
Andrés Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo
This was cut to a set of three "finalists" – Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo source
With what share of the vote did Cristiano Ronaldo win the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or?
27.99%
1st Cristiano Ronaldo 1365 27.99% source
On which date were the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or awards handed out in Zürich?
12 January 2015
The awards were given out in Zürich on 12 January 2015. source
At the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or gala, who received the World Coach of the Year award for men's football?
Luis Enrique
Luis Enrique received the World Coach of the Year for Men's Football source
Cristiano Ronaldo won the 2016 Ballon d'Or with 745 points. Who finished third, and on how many points?
Antoine Griezmann of Atlético Madrid, on 198 points
3 Antoine Griezmann Atlético Madrid 198 source
In which city were The Best FIFA Football Awards 2017 held?
London, United Kingdom
The Best FIFA Football Awards 2017 were held on 23 October 2017 in London, United Kingdom. source
Luka Modrić won The Best FIFA Men's Player award for 2018. What share of the vote is he credited with?
over 29% of the vote
Luka Modrić won the award with over 29% of the vote. source
At which venue were The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 staged?
Teatro alla Scala, Milan
The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 were held on 23 September 2019 at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. source
How were The Best FIFA Football Awards 2020, at which Robert Lewandowski was named men's player, staged?
Held virtually, because of the COVID-19 pandemic
The ceremony was held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. source
At the 2021 Ballon d'Or ceremony, who was given the Kopa Trophy for the best young player?
Pedri
Kopa Trophy: Pedri (1st award) source
What did France Football change about the Ballon d'Or for the 2022 edition won by Karim Benzema?
It was judged on the European season rather than the calendar year
For the first time in the history of the award, it was given based on the results of the European season, instead of the calendar year. source
In the 2023 Ballon d'Or standings won by Lionel Messi, who placed fifth, and on how many points?
Rodri of Manchester City, on 156 points
5 Rodri Manchester City 156 source
Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d'Or with 1170 points. How many points did the runner-up Vinícius Júnior record?
1129 points
2 Vinícius Júnior Real Madrid 1129 source
Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 Ballon d'Or with 1380 points. Who finished third, and on how many points?
Vitinha of Paris Saint-Germain, on 703 points
3 Vitinha Paris Saint-Germain 703 source