Ballon d’Or 2022: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini – previous winners of award

Since 1956, one footballer has been honoured with the Ballon d’Or each year with 64 players winning the prize.

From 1956 to 1994, the Ballon d’Or was solely given to footballers in Europe and the award was called the European Footballer of the Year.

Since 1995, non-European players at European clubs have been eligible for the prize, before it became global in 2007.

From Stanley Matthews to Lionel Messi, nearly all of football’s biggest names have won the Ballon d’Or.

Ballon d’Or winners

2011 – 2021

2001 – 2010

1991 – 2000

1981 – 1990

1971 – 1980

1961 – 1970

1956 – 1960

Who has won the most Ballon d’Or?

Only 10 players have won multiple Ballon d’Or awards with Messi at the top of the list with seven wins and Cristiano Ronaldo on five.

Both players have lifted the trophy on four consecutive occasions, winning 12 of the last 13 Ballon d’Or awards, with Real Madrid’s Luka Modric bringing their run of success to a brief end in 2018.

Ballon d’Or Feminin winners

The Ballon d’Or Feminin began in 2018 with three different winners from the three years it has taken place.

Ada Hegerberg was the first player to win the prize, before Megan Rapinoe won in 2019 for her part in leading the United States to World Cup glory.

Last year, Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d’Or Feminin and she is likely to become the first player to win back-to-back titles.