History of the Ballon d'Or: 8 wins for Lionel Messi

How the Ballon d'Or began

The history of the Ballon d'Or starts in 1956, when France Football presented the award for the first time. The prize was conceived by sports writers Gabriel Hanot and Jacques Ferran, and the inaugural winner was Stanley Matthews. He remains the oldest player ever to win it, at 41 years and 321 days old.

For its first decades, the Ballon d'Or was tied to a narrower idea of who could win. It was originally awarded only to players from Europe. Until 2006, the winner was chosen exclusively by football journalists, which gave the trophy a clear identity from the start.

When the award opened up

The first big change came in 1995, when the Ballon d'Or was expanded to include all players of any origin active at European clubs. That shift opened the door for George Weah, who became the first non-European to win the award that year.

Two years later, Ronaldo of Brazil became the first South American without a European citizenship to claim the Ballon d'Or. By then, the trophy was no longer limited to the original European framework that had defined its earliest editions.

In 2007, the award became a global prize, with all professional footballers eligible. That expansion marked another major step in the Ballon d'Or's evolution, turning it into a truly worldwide individual honor.

The FIFA Ballon d'Or years

Between 2010 and 2015, the Ballon d'Or was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year and rebranded as the FIFA Ballon d'Or. During those years, the title carried a combined identity that tied together two major individual awards in world football.

After that period ended, France Football continued to shape the trophy on its own terms. In 2022, it changed the Ballon d'Or to recognize a football season rather than a calendar year. That adjustment changed the way the award was framed, linking it more closely to the rhythm of the game itself.

Who has won the Ballon d'Or the most?

Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or a record eight times. No other player in the facts listed matches that total, which places his name at the center of the award's modern era.

The gala itself has also continued to evolve. UEFA has co-organized the Ballon d'Or gala since 2024, adding another layer to an award that began with France Football in 1956 and later moved through different formats and eligibility rules.

From Stanley Matthews to Messi, the Ballon d'Or has changed its scope many times while keeping the same basic goal: to honor football's standout individual season or year, depending on the era. Test what you've learned in the quiz.