Sports

FULL LIST: Every Ballon d’Or Winner In History

Published

4 months ago

September 22, 2025

The Ballon d’Or, presented by France Football since 1956, is football’s longest-running individual honour.

Conceived by the magazine’s writers, the prize has changed format and eligibility over time — originally for Europe-only players, opened to all players active in Europe in 1995, and global in 2007.

In 2018, France Football expanded the honour with the Ballon d’Or Féminin, ensuring women’s football also takes centre stage.

Here’s the complete list of winners across both categories:

1956 — Stanley Matthews (Blackpool / England)
1957 — Alfredo Di Stéfano (Real Madrid / Spain-Argentina)
1958 — Raymond Kopa (Real Madrid / France)
1959 — Alfredo Di Stéfano (Real Madrid / Spain-Argentina)
1960 — Luis Suárez (Barcelona / Spain)
1961 — Omar Sívori (Juventus / Italy-Argentina)
1962 — Josef Masopust (Dukla Prague / Czechoslovakia)
1963 — Lev Yashin (Dynamo Moscow / USSR)
1964 — Denis Law (Manchester United / Scotland)
1965 — Eusébio (Benfica / Portugal)
1966 — Bobby Charlton (Manchester United / England)
1967 — Florian Albert (Ferencváros / Hungary)
1968 — George Best (Manchester United / Northern Ireland)
1969 — Gianni Rivera (AC Milan / Italy)
1970 — Gerd Müller (Bayern Munich / West Germany)
1971 — Johan Cruyff (Ajax / Netherlands)
1972 — Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich / West Germany)
1973 — Johan Cruyff (Barcelona / Netherlands)
1974 — Johan Cruyff (Barcelona / Netherlands)
1975 — Oleg Blokhin (Dynamo Kyiv / USSR)
1976 — Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich / West Germany)
1977 — Allan Simonsen (Borussia Mönchengladbach / Denmark)
1978 — Kevin Keegan (Hamburg / England)
1979 — Kevin Keegan (Hamburg / England)
1980 — Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern Munich / West Germany)
1981 — Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern Munich / West Germany)
1982 — Paolo Rossi (Juventus / Italy)
1983 — Michel Platini (Juventus / France)
1984 — Michel Platini (Juventus / France)
1985 — Michel Platini (Juventus / France)
1986 — Igor Belanov (Dynamo Kyiv / USSR)
1987 — Ruud Gullit (AC Milan / Netherlands)
1988 — Marco van Basten (AC Milan / Netherlands)
1989 — Marco van Basten (AC Milan / Netherlands)
1990 — Lothar Matthäus (Inter Milan / West Germany)
1991 — Jean-Pierre Papin (Marseille / France)
1992 — Marco van Basten (AC Milan / Netherlands)
1993 — Roberto Baggio (Juventus / Italy)
1994 — Hristo Stoichkov (Barcelona / Bulgaria)
1995 — George Weah (AC Milan / Liberia)
1996 — Matthias Sammer (Borussia Dortmund / Germany)
1997 — Ronaldo Nazário (Inter Milan / Brazil)
1998 — Zinedine Zidane (Juventus / France)
1999 — Rivaldo (Barcelona / Brazil)
2000 — Luís Figo (Real Madrid / Portugal)
2001 — Michael Owen (Liverpool / England)
2002 — Ronaldo Nazário (Real Madrid / Brazil)
2003 — Pavel Nedvěd (Juventus / Czech Republic)
2004 — Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan / Ukraine)
2005 — Ronaldinho (Barcelona / Brazil)
2006 — Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid / Italy)
2007 — Kaká (AC Milan / Brazil)
2008 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United / Portugal)
2009 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona / Argentina)
2010 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona / Argentina)
2011 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona / Argentina)
2012 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona / Argentina)
2013 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid / Portugal)
2014 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid / Portugal)
2015 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona / Argentina)
2016 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid / Portugal)
2017 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid / Portugal)
2018 — Luka Modrić (Real Madrid / Croatia)
2019 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona / Argentina)
2020 — Not awarded (COVID-19)
2021 — Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain / Argentina)
2022 — Karim Benzema (Real Madrid / France)
2023 — Lionel Messi (Inter Miami / Argentina)
2024 — Rodri (Manchester City / Spain)

Women’s Ballon d’Or (Ballon d’Or Féminin)

2018 — Ada Hegerberg (Lyon / Norway)
2019 — Megan Rapinoe (Reign FC / USA)
2020 — Not awarded (COVID-19)
2021 — Alexia Putellas (Barcelona / Spain)
2022 — Alexia Putellas (Barcelona / Spain)
2023 — Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
2024 —Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)

Sports

CRASH: Anthony Joshua Opens Up On Friends’ Death

Published

17 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

Former world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, has said the death of his two friends posed a tough time for him.

Recall that a car conveying the boxer earlier this month, rammed into a stationary truck along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The accident claimed that lives of his personal trainer, Kevin Latif Ayodele, and his strength and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami.

In a post on his verified Facebook page on Thursday, the former heavyweight champion said it was tough for him.

Joshua acknowledged that the incident was “even tougher” for the parents of the deceased.

He wrote, “Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers. I didn’t even realise how special they are.

“I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not even knowing God kept me in the presence of great men.

“100% it’s tough for me, but I know it’s even tougher for their parents. I have a strong mind, and I believe God knows their hearts. May God have mercy on my brothers.”

Sports

NPFL: Kano Pillars Sack Two Players

Published

17 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

Kano Pillars have announced the departure of the duo of Umar Sani Yakasai Samuel Tiza.

Yakasai and Tiza’s contracts were terminated by the Kano-based club.

The Sai Masu Gida confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday.

“Kano Pillars FC wishes to announce that, following a mutual understanding, the club have amicably parted ways with striker Samuel Tiza and midfielder Umar Sani Yakasai,” Kano Pillars wrote in a statement confirming the players departure.

“Both players will now continue their careers elsewhere ahead of the second stanza of the 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League season.”

Kano Pillars is expected to make up for their departure with the signing of new players.

Sports

AFCON: It’s Not Possible – NSC On Super Eagles Players Requesting Cash Payment

Published

17 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Shehu Dikko, has insisted that it is not possible to pay the Super Eagles of Nigeria their match bonus in cash.

Dikko stated this while clarifying the situation about Super Eagles match bonuses following reports of players threatening to boycott training and refusing to travel to Marrakech for Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, quarter-final clash against Algeria on Saturday.

He spoke on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

“Clearly, the players requested whether they could get some of these in cash, and they were told it’s not possible,” Dikko said.

“These bonuses are not paid in cash; they have to be paid through the bank, which is the normal procedure.

“The only ones they agreed to pay in cash are the daily allowances.”

The Super Eagles progressed to the last-8 after humiliating Mozambique 4-0 in the AFCON Round of 16.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Finance, Doris Nkiruka-Anite, had earlier disclosed that the Super Eagles players will start receiving their bonus money alerts today or tomorrow before the Algeria clash.