A quiet archive of football’s highest individual honour.
Today’s Legend
1971
Classic · 1956–1994
Johan Cruyff
“The Total Footballer” — Netherlands
Three golden balls, one turn, and an idea that conquered the game twice.
197119731974
Open the file ·→
Since 1956·68 editions·46 names·one golden ball, every year·Matthews to Rodri
One name, one golden ball, once a year. The rule was famously unfair until 1995 opened it to the world. This is the complete record — every edition, both eras, and the apologies written in gold.
Classic1956–1994
The era when the award belonged to Europe — before 1995, only players at European clubs could win. Pelé and Maradona never did; the gods of the world game stood outside the door.
Stanley Matthews
1956
“The Wizard of the Dribble”
Alfredo Di Stéfano
19571959
“The Blond Arrow”
Raymond Kopa
1958
“The Napoleon of Football”
Luis Suárez
1960
“The Architect of the Grande Inter”
Omar Sívori
1961
“The Atomic Flea”
Josef Masopust
1962
“The Marathon Man of Dukla”
Lev Yashin
1963
“The Black Spider”
Denis Law
1964
“The King of the Stretford End”
Eusébio
1965
“The Black Panther”
Bobby Charlton
1966
“The Gentleman Survivor”
Flórián Albert
1967
“The Emperor of Ferencváros”
George Best
1968
“The Fifth Beatle”
Luigi Riva
1969
“Rombo di Tuono — The Thunderbolt”
Gerd Müller
1970
“Der Bomber”
Johan Cruyff
197119731974
“The Total Footballer”
Franz Beckenbauer
19721976
“Der Kaiser”
Oleh Blokhin
1975
“The Sprinter of Kyiv”
Allan Simonsen
1977
“Denmark's Only”
Kevin Keegan
19781979
“The First Back-to-Back”
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
19801981
“The Second Bomber”
Paolo Rossi
1982
“Pablito of the Golden Summer”
Michel Platini
198319841985
“Le Roi”
Ihor Belanov
1986
“The Last Eastern Ballon d'Or”
Ruud Gullit
1987
“The Dreadlocked Prince”
Marco van Basten
198819891992
“The Swan of Utrecht”
Lothar Matthäus
1990
“Der Lange — The Engine”
Jean-Pierre Papin
1991
“The Papinade Specialist”
Roberto Baggio
1993
“Il Divin Codino — The Divine Ponytail”
Hristo Stoichkov
1994
“The Dagger”
Modern1995 –
The door opened in 1995 and George Weah walked through it. Since then the award has belonged to the whole planet — and, for fifteen of those years, almost exclusively to two men.
George Weah
1995
“The King of Liberia”
Matthias Sammer
1996
“The Last Libero”
Ronaldo
19972002
“O Fenômeno”
Zinedine Zidane
1998
“Zizou”
Rivaldo
1999
“The Left Foot of São Paulo”
Luís Figo
2000
“The Golden Generation's Captain”
Michael Owen
2001
“The Boy Who Broke Munich”
Pavel Nedvěd
2003
“Furia Ceca — The Czech Fury”
Andriy Shevchenko
2004
“Sheva — The Nuclear Head”
Ronaldinho
2005
“O Bruxo (The Wizard)”
Fabio Cannavaro
2006
“The Wall of Berlin”
Kaká
2007
“The Last No. 10”
Cristiano Ronaldo
20082013201420162017
“CR7”
Lionel Messi
20092010201120122015201920212023
“La Pulga (The Flea)”
Luka Modrić
2018
“The Man Who Ended the Duopoly”
Karim Benzema
2022
“The Nine of the Ninth”
Rodri
2024
“The Metronome”