Ballon d’Or Winners List

Stanley Matthews was a forward and due to his amazing skills, some of his popular nicknames were The Wizard of Dribble and The Magician. In 1956 he became the inaugural winner of the Ballon d’Or. The 1956 - 1957 season was Blackpool’s 49th season or its 46th consecutive season in the Football League. In the game between England and Brazil, Stanley Matthews scores all goals which have led to the 4-2 win for England. During the 1955 - 1956 season, Stanley Matthews played 37 games in total and scored 3 goals.

After Di Stéfano has acquired Spanish citizenship in 1956 he debuted in 1957 as a Real Madrid player. In this match, he managed to score a hat-trick and contributed to the final result of a 5-1 win. During the 1957 season, he played in four qualifying matches for the World Cup but his team did not make it to the 1958 World Cup. During the 1957 season, Di Stéfano scored 31 goals in 30 games in total, which is an achievement that has also won him his third Pichichi award. In 1957, Madrid won the European Cup for the second consecutive time and Di Stéfano had a key role in this outcome.

Kopa was a tremendous player who has helped Real Madrid to win the European Cup three consecutive times. Both in 1957 and 1958 he has won the Spanish League and in 1958 he also won the Ballon d’Or award, scoring 71 points. Kopa played in the 1958 FIFA World Cup for the France national team and he was among the players who scored four goals and helped France to advance to the semi-finals. While playing for Real Madrid during the 1958 - 1959 season, Raymond Kopa had a total of 37 appearances during which he scored a total of 11 goals.

In 1959 Di Stéfano won the Ballon d’Or yet again, scoring 80 points. The fourth European Cup is during that season and Di Stéfano continues his amazing record with scoring yet another goal on an European Cup final. In 1959 Di Stéfano becomes the first ever football player to win European Footballer of the Year for the second time. During the 1959-1960 season, Di Stéfano had a total of 34 appearances and scored 23 goals while playing for Real Madrid.

During his football career, Luis Suárez became well known as The Architect due to his amazing technique. In 1960 Luis Suárez was the only Spanish-born footballer to win the Ballon d’Or award. Between the years 1955 and 1961, he was one of the regular players of FC Barcelona and in 1959, the team has won a league-cup double, followed by a league-European cup double in 1960. Due to those amazing achievements and the wonderful technique of Suárez, he was awarded the Ballon d’Or, scoring 54 points. During that season, Luis Suárez had 7 appearances with the Spain national team and scored 3 goals in total.

Before Omar SÍvori joined Juventus, the club was considered to be in quite the slump. This, however, did not stop SÍvori from performing tremendously and bringing the club the win of Serie A in 1957 - 1958. The great results continued with winning two annual championships during the 1959 - 1960 and 1960 - 1961 seasons, as well as, two Coppa Italian wins in 1958 - 1959 and 1959 - 1960. These great achievements have contributed to Omar SÍvori winning the title of European Footballer of the Year in 1961 with 46 points. During the 1960 - 1961 season, Omar SÍvori played a total of 29 games, scoring 28 goals for Juventus.

Josef Masopust was a talented footballer and was a key player for Czechoslovakia back in 1962 when he helped the national team to reach the FIFA World Cup Final. However, this is not the first big achievement he has contributed to as back in 1958 he has also helped to Czechoslovakia to qualify for the FIFA World Cup but they lost to Northern Ireland in a play-off match. In the 1962 FIFA World Cup Final, Josef Masopust was the one to score the opening goal. Even though Czechoslovakia did not win the final, Josef Masopust’s wonderful performance won him the Ballon d’Or award in 1962. During the season, the footballer played 11 times for the national team and scored 3 goals.

Many consider Lev Yashin to be the best goalkeeper in the history of football. As a player for the USSR national team, Yashin participated 3 times in the finals of the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1966. In 1963, Lev Yashin played in the game that celebrated the centenary of the Football Association. The match was played at Wembley Stadium and the teams were comprised from the best players from all over the world. This match was the reason why everyone started calling Lev Yashin The Black Panther as he demonstrated amazing acrobatic jumps and great mobility. In 1963, Lev Yashin plays a total of 27 games as a goalkeeper for Dynamo Moscow.

Denis Law who has earned the nickname “The King” was one of the greatest players in Manchester United for a big portion of his career as a footballer. During the 1963 - 1964 season, Law showed a superb performance with several goals that have won him the participation in the Rest of the World vs England match. Even though Law had to be suspended for 28 days during that football season, he still managed to score 46 goals which is a record for the club even in the present days. This explains why Denis Law deservingly won the Ballon d’Or award in 1964.

Eusébio is considered one of the best Portuguese footballers and he definitely showed that this title was well-deserved. In 1966 he helped Portugal to place third on the World Cup but his wonderful achievements have been recognized way before that. He officially debuted as a Nefica player on 1 June 1961 and in the following few years, he gained global recognition. In 1965, he won the Ballon d’Or award and in 1962 and 1966 he was a runner-up. During the 1964-1965 season with Benfica, he participated in 36 games and scored 48 goals.

Many consider Bobby Charlton to be one of the greatest players in the history of football and his career in Manchester United is definitely praise-worthy. He spent almost his entire career with the same club and become one of the key players of Manchester United. Bobby Charlton was a part of the England team that won the final of the 1966 FIFA World Cup. That year also marked Bobby’s win of the Ballon d’Or award. In 1965, Bobby helped Manchester United to win Football League First Division and in 1967 he won yet another First Division title. During the 1965 - 1966 season, Bobby Charlton participated in a total of 54 games and scored 18 goals.

Flórián Albert is the first and only Hungarian player to win the prestigious award Ballon d’Or and it was all due to his impeccable skills. He was known as The Emperor and many praised him for being one of the most elegant footballers. He spent his entire career in a single club and that is Ferencváros and he contributed to Hungary winning 75 international caps by scoring 35 goals. Flórián Albert earned the title of a top-scored during the 1962 World Cup and helped Hungary reach third place in the 1964 European Championship. In 1967, Flórián Albert won the Ballon d’Or award which is also the year Ferencváros won the Hungarian Championship. During that season, the footballer played 27 games and scored 28 goals in total.

George Best was an exceptional player for a big part of his career. He chose to play mostly for Manchester United which was also his team during his Ballon d’Or award in 1968. He was regarded as one of the best dribblers in the history of the sport and his skills were undeniable. Although he has never played in the World Cup, Best has won the title as one of the best footballers that have not played in major tournaments. He is probably one of the first football players who have earned great popularity both inside and outside the sports field. During the 1967 - 1968 season, George Best played a total of 53 games and scored 32 goals.

Gianni Rivera was once proclaimed the “Golden Boy” of Italy and, rightfully so, he has earned this title thanks to his football achievements. During the 1967 - 1968 season, Rivera was a key player in Milan and the team managed to enjoy a double as they won both the Scudetto and the final of the Cup Winners' Cup. During the summer in 1968, Gianni Rivera also contributed to Milan's win on the European Championship. In 1969. Rivera lead Milan to a 4-1 win on the European Cup and they have also enjoyed a victory on the International Cup. These achievements have brought Gianni Rivera the Ballon d’Or award in 1969. During the 1968 - 1969 season, Rivera played a total of 39 games and scored 6 goals.

Müller is considered one of the best goal scorers of all time and has definitely earned the title of one of the best players in the history of football. Gerd Müller won the German Championship four times during his career as a footballer. Among his other achievements are four wins of the DFB - Pokal and three times the European Championship’s final. He managed to score 10 goals during the 1970 World Cup which have won him the Ballon d’Or award. During the 1969 - 1970 season, Gerd Müller played a total of 38 games during which he scored 42 goals.

Johan Cruyff was an avid advocate of the so-called Total Football philosophy and was a great footballer who won a number of awards, proving his great skills. Due to his amazing talent and his ability to take up the role of any player on the field, Johan Cruyff was awarded the Ballon d’Or award a total of 3 times. In the 70s, Johan Cruyff rose to fame due to his unique and new way of playing the game which had also proven to be a successful tactic. During the 1970 - 1971 season, Johan Cruyff played a total of 37 games and scored 27 goals.

Named Der Kaiser (The Emperor), Franz Beckenbauer became one of the most remarkable footballers of all time. Beckenbauer was very talented and played in different positions throughout his career but he reached his popularity when he started playing as a central defender. He was a member of the team which won third place in the 1970 World Cup championship. Beckenbauer also contributed with his skills for the 1972 win on the European Championship. The same year, he also won his first Ballon d’Or award, scoring 81 points. During the 1971 - 1972 season, Der Kaiser played 47 games and managed to score 8 goals.

In 1972, Ajax enjoyed a second win on the European Cup thanks to the 2-0 victory over Inter Milan. Not only was Johan Cruyff a part of the club back then, but he was the player who scored both goals that decided the final result of the game. He also contributed with a goal when Ajax beat ADO Den Haag in the KNVB Cup final, resulting in a 3-2 victory. Ajax swept yet another win with the International Cup and at the beginning of 1973, they won European Super Cup. That was also the year that won Johan Cruyff his second Ballon d’Or award. During the 1972 - 1973 season, Johan Cruyff played 46 games and scored a total of 26 goals.

After helping Ajax to enjoy wonderful achievements, in 1973, Johan Cruyff transferred to Barcelona and this was one of the most expensive transfers in the history of football. The last match of Johan Cruyff with Ajax was on 19 August 1973 and the team beat FC Amsterdam in a 6-1 game. As soon as he transferred to Barcelona, he managed to bring the club a La Liga win which was for the first time since 1960. In 1974, Johan Cruyff won the Ballon d’Or award for the third time, making him one of the few footballers who have won the Golden Ball more than 2 times. During the 1973 - 1974 season, Johan Cruyff played 2 games with Ajax and scored 3 goals. For his season with Barcelona, he played 26 matches and scored a total of 16 goals.

Oleg Blokhin is, to this day, the record goal scorer for Dynamo Kyiv and the USSR national team. With a total of 211 goals, he is also the overall top goal scorer for the Soviet Top League. Oleg Blokhin spent most of his career with Dynamo Kyiv and he made more appearances than any other player (432 appearances). He managed to win the championship eight times and he was also a part of the team that got to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1975. During the same year, he also won the Ballon d’Or award. During the 1975 season, Oleg Blokhin had 36 appearances and scored 23 goals.

Franz Beckenbauer proved yet again that he is one of the greatest footballers of all time in 1976. This year marked his second time of receiving the Ballon d’Or award. As a captain of Bayern Munich, he managed to lead the team to three consecutive European Champions Clubs’ Cups which were won during the 1973 -1974, 1974 -1975 and 1975 - 1976 seasons. He also won the club three national titles, proving his amazing skills as a captain of Bayern Munich. During the 1975 - 1976 season, Franz Beckenbauer had 52 appearances and scored 7 goals.

The football achievements of Allan Simonsen prove that he was a player who definitely deserved the Ballon d’Or recognition he received in 1977. During his career, he has played for both Borussia Mönchengladbach and Barcelona and brought the clubs a number of wins. Simonsen is the first-ever footballer to score goals on the European Cup, UEFA Cup, and Cup Winners’ Cup which is definitely an achievement worth mentioning. The 1976 - 1977 season was probably one of the best times in Simonsen’s career as he helped Borussia Mönchengladbach beat Liverpool at the 1977 European Cup Final. During that entire season, Simonsen played a total of 34 games and scored 12 goals.

Kevin Keegan is the only British player to win the Ballon d’Or award twice and his skills were definitely worth praising. During the 70s and 80s, Keegan was proclaimed by the media as a football superstar and he has played for several clubs during his career, including Newcastle United, Southampton, Liverpool and Hamburger SV. During the 1977 - 1978 season. Keegan transferred to Hamburger SV and he experienced a few rough months at the beginning of his career in the club. Despite that, he managed to score 12 goals over the course of 33 appearances. These have helped him to win the 1978 Ballon d’Or award with a total of 87 points.

The following year was even more successful for Keegan and he won the Ballon d’Or award for a second consecutive time. As the club had a new coach, the new season showed much better performances and Keegan also showed yet again amazing skills. After the 1978 -1979 season, Keegan received many offers from popular football clubs but he decided to stay with Hamburger SV and strived for good results on the European Cup. During that season, Keegan played a total of 35 games and scored 17 goals.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had a very successful career and was a key player for Bayern Munich. Thanks to his amazing skills, he managed to win the Intercontinental Cup in 1976, European Cup both in 1975 and 1976, Bundesliga in 1980 and 1981. Karl-Heinz’s career continued to prove that he is an amazing footballer and he brought his team many other wins in the following years. In 1980, he was awarded the Ballon d’Or prize, scoring 112 points. During the 1979 - 1980 season, Rummenigge played 47 games and scored 36 goals.

Continuing his previous success, in 1981, Rummenigge won the Ballon d’Or award for a second consecutive time. As the famous footballer contributed for a great season both for Bayern Munich and the national team, he was first awarded the German Footballer of the Year, followed up by the European Footballer of the Year. During the 1980 - 1981 season, Rummenigge was a top goal scorer and for a total of 45 appearances, he scored 39 goals.

Paolo Rossi’s debut as a professional football player started in 1973 in Juventus. He showed amazing skills and during the 1977 - 1978 season he scored 24 goals which made him the first footballer to rank as the highest goal scorer in Serie B and Serie A during two consecutive seasons. The 1981 - 1982 season is a remarkable period in Rossi’s career as he scored 1 goal in 3 appearances and brought Juventus Serie A win. Rossi also participated in the 1982 World Cup where he helped Italy to advance to the semi-final. In addition to that, on the final match, Rossi scored one of the three goals that won Italy the World Cup title. In 1982, Rossi received the Ballon d’Or award for his season of amazing performances.

There is no doubt why many consider Michel Platini one of the best footballers in the history of the sport. He managed to win the Ballon d’Or award three consecutive times which only shows that Platini’s achievements were praise-worthy. As he transferred to Juventus in 1982, his career reached a pivotal point. The team won the Italian Championship title and he won a top goal scorer in Serie A for three seasons in a row. During the 1982 - 1983 season, he had a total of 48 appearances with Juventus and scored 28 goals.

Platini continued his amazing career in Juventus and in 1984, he won top goal scorer in Serie A for a second consecutive year. The new season also brought Platini his second Ballon d’Or award. He was also a key player for the national team which won the European Championship in 1984. During that season, he had 10 appearances with the national team and scored 13 goals. Although he participated only in the 1984 edition of the European Championship, until 2007, he held the record for the top scorer in the country. During the 1983 - 1984 season, Platini played 43 games with Juventus and scored 25 goals.

The year 1985 marked yet another successful season for Platini as he became a top goal scorer yet again and he was awarded the Golden Ball for a third consecutive time. He won the 1985 European Cup and the Intercontinental Cup in the same year. Platini was praised by many and he even was voted Player of the Year in both 1984 and 1985 by the World Soccer magazine. Platini had 48 appearances with Juventus during the 1984 - 1985 season and he scored a total of 29 goals.

Igor Belanov rose to fame when he joined Dynamo Kyiv and won a total of 8 titles while he played for the club. In his first season with the club, Belanov scored 10 goals, proving to be a key player for the team. During the 1985 - 1986 season, Belanov, along with his teammates Oleg Blokhin and Oleksandr Zavarov, topped the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup charts and Dynamo Kyiv enjoyed the win of the competition for a second time. Igor Belanov showed a wonderful performance during that season and he won the 1986 Ballon d’Or award with 84 points. While playing in Dynamo Kyiv, during the 1986 season, Belanoc had 32 appearances and scored 14 goals.

Ruud Gullit is considered one of the best footballers that have played the game and he has won a handful of titles during his career. While he was playing at PSV Eindhoven he became well-known for being one of the world’s top attacking players. His best years are the ones he played for Milan, and his transfer in 1987 was one of the most expensive ones in the history of football. He was voted the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989 and in 1987 he also received the Ballon d’Or award. During his first season at Milan, he had 6 appearances and scored 5 goals in total.

Marco van Basten is a football player who enjoyed a long and successful career and has changed the way the game is played, adding his own flair. In 1987 he joined Milan but it was his second season in the club that brought him a great success. In 1988, while playing for the Netherlands national team, Basten won the UEFA Euro championship and he was voted player of the tournament. During the same year, he ranked sixth in the FIFA Player of the Century list and he was awarded the Ballon d’Or award. Basten played 19 games during the 1987 - 1988 season and he scored 8 goals.

Continuing his previous success, in 1989 Marco van Basten won the Ballon d’Or award for a second time. He scored two goals for the finals of the European Cup where Milan beat Steaua București. The 1988 - 1989 season was very strong for Marco van Basten as he played a total of 47 games with Milan and he managed to score 33 goals. Marco van Basten continued to show great results and brought Milan a number of titles. One of his records is for being the first football player to score 4 goals in one Champions’ Cup game.

Lothar Matthäus is considered to be one of the greatest midfielders who have played football and is one of the top German players of all time. His achievements in the professional football scene have won him many titles and in 1990 he won the Ballon d’Or award. That year, he helped the national team to win the World Cup and the record for most caps is held by him. Not only was he the player to be voted FIFA World Player of the Year but he is also the only German footballer to receive the award. His 1989 - 1990 season is marked by 29 matches and a total of 13 goals.

Jean-Pierre Papin is one of the top goal scorers in the history of football and has won a handful of titles throughout his career as a football player. Papin’s biggest success was achieved while he played for Marseille between 1986 and 1992 and he helped the club to sweep four consecutive French league championships wins. He also played a key role in Marseille qualifying for the European Championship Cup in 1991. That was also the year he won the Ballon d’Or award. Jean-Pierre Papin played a total 50 games with Marseille during the 1990 - 1991 season and he scored 36 goals for the team.

While Milan was struggling in the 1990 - 1991 season, the new captain of the club, Fabio Capello brought the club to an undeniable win another Scudetto. During that season, Basten showed a remarkable performance and he scored a total of 25 league goals. This achievement of his made him the top goal scorer in a single Serie A season. In 1992, Basten won the Ballon d’Or award for the third time and he was also chosen as the FIFA World Player of the Year. During the 1991 - 1992 season, Basten played 38 games with Milan and scored 29 goals.

Roberto Baggio has earned himself the title of one of the best forwards in the history of Italian football. After playing for the low-division team Vicenza, he joined Florentina in 1985 and he started showing wonderful skills on the football field. In 1990, he joined Juventus after a record transfer fee and in 1993, as a team captain, he led the club to a UEFA Cup title. In that match, he scored 2 goals and contributed to the 6-1 win against Borussia Dortmund. Juventus also reached the semi-final of Coppa Italia that season but lost to Torino. The highlight of that season for Baggio was scoring four goals in the 5-1 victory over Udinese. For the entire 1992 - 1993 season, Baggio had 43 appearances and scored 30 goals.

Hristo Stoichkov is known to be one of the greatest Bulgarian footballers and in 1992 and 1994, he was a runner-up for the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Stoichkov played six years for CSKA Sofia and in 1990, he joined Barcelona and became a part of the so-called “Dream Team” which won La Liga titles in four consecutive years and one UEFA Championships League. Stoichkov was also playing for the Bulgarian national team which won the fourth place in the FIFA World Cup in 1994. While playing for the national team that season, he was a top goal scorer and received the World Cup Golden Shoe award. The same year, he also received the Ballon d’Or award. During the 1993 - 1994 season, Stoichkov played 48 games with Barcelona and scored 24 goals.

While playing for the Cameroon national team, George Weah showed very impressive skills and he joined Monaco in 1988. While playing for the club, Weah proved to be an amazing striker and he won the Coupe de France in 1991 and was also chosen as the African Footballer of the Year in 1989. In 1992, Weah transferred to Paris Saint-Germain and he brought the club two Coupe de France titles (1993 and 1995), as well as, the French League win in 1994. In 1995, Weah signed with Milan and won the club two Serie A titles. In 1995, he received the Ballon d’Or award, following his 1994 - 1995 season of 53 appearances and 18 goals.

Matthias Sammer rose to great fame with his football skills and he was praised for that, receiving the 1996 Ballon d’Or award. While he started as a striker, when he was moved to the central midfield, he began to show his full potential as a footballer. The years he spent in Borussia Dortmund brought the club Bundesliga and DFL-Supercup titles in 1995 and 1996. He also was proclaimed the European Footballer of the Year in 1996 and won UEFA Champions League and Intercontinental Cup in 1997. During his 1995 - 1996 season, Sammer played 31 games and scored 4 goals.

Ronaldo is considered one of the best footballers of all time and his nickname El Fenomeno (The Phenomenon) was well-deserved. In 1994, he joined PSV Eindhoven and scored 54 goals for the two seasons he played for the club. He also helped the team to win the Dutch Cup in 1996 and he became the Top Scorer of the tournament. He spent the 1996 - 1997 season with Barcelona where he scored a total of 47 goals and also helped the team win the UEFA Winners’ Cup. During that season, he had a total of 47 appearances and scored 49 goals.

Zinedine Zidane is one of the most popular French footballers and he is widely known for his wonderful dribbling skills, control and leadership. He was recognized for his talent and hard work by receiving awards such as FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003 and Ballon d’Or in 1998. The same year he was also chosen as an All-Star player as he scored 2 goals on the FIFA World Cup final and helped France win the tournament. During the 1997 - 1998 season, Zidane played 48 games in total and scored 11 goals.

Rivaldo is one of the greatest Brazilian footballers and he has brought both his clubs and the national team great titles. Rivaldo was a key player for Brazil when they were advancing to the final of the World Cup in 1998 and he scored 3 goals during the tournament. The following year he showed an amazing performance, scoring 5 goals and won Brazil the Copa America title. In 1999 he helped Barcelona win Spanish League and that year he also received the Ballon d’Or award. During the 1998 - 1999 season, he played 48 games and scored a total of 29 goals.

LuÍs Figo is a former professional footballer who had an amazing career as a midfielder for clubs such as Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. While Figo’s career started thriving when he joined Barcelona and won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1996 - 1997. In 2000, he joined Barcelona’s rivals Real Madrid for a world record transaction fee. While he won the Ballon d’Or award in 2000, when he had already joined Real Madrid, his achievements in Barcelona were mostly what had won him the award. During the 1999 - 2000 season, he played 47 games and scored 14 goals.

Michael Owen is known to be one of the top English footballers and he had an amazing football career as a striker for clubs such as Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City. He rose to fame with his 1997 debut at Liverpool when he scored 18 goals in the league and won the Premier League Golden Boot and the PFA Young Player of the Year award. In the 2000 - 2001 season, Owen helped Liverpool to enjoy a triple win with the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup. In 2001, Michael Owen received the Ballon d’Or award for his season of 46 games and 24 goals.

In 2002, Ronaldo was honored yet again with the Ballon d’Or award for his achievements which included his last season with Inter Milan. In 2002, he transferred to Real Madrid and he helped the club to win titles like the Super Cup, the Intercontinental Cup and the La Liga. In 2003 Ronaldo managed to score one of the fastest goals in the history of Real Madrid. He scored in the first 15 seconds in a match against Atlético Madrid. During the 2001 - 2002 season, he was still playing for Inter Milan and he had 16 appearances and scored 7 goals. In the next season, which was with Real Madrid, he played 44 games and scored 30 goals.

Pavel Nedvĕd is considered one of the best Czech football players and he is also one of the greatest players of his generation. Throughout his career, he won both domestic and European titles that proved his wonderful skills. After playing 5 seasons with Lazio, Nedvĕd transferred to Juventus in 2001. He had a key role in Juventus advancing to the 2003 UEFA Champions League final in 2003. At the end of that year, the World Soccer magazine gave Nedvĕd the title of World Footballer of the Year. In 2003, he also received the Ballon d’Or award, following his 2002 - 2003 season of 43 games and 15 goals.

Andriy Shevchenko is a popular former professional footballer who had a very successful career as a member of several clubs. In 1999, he debuted as a Milan player in a Serie A game. In his first season with the club, he became a top goal scorer. In addition to that, with 48 goals, he is also the best goal scorer of all time in the history of the Ukranian national team. In 2003, he won the UEFA Champions League and in 2004 he received the Ballon d’Or award for his wonderful achievements. During the 2003 - 2004 season with Milan, Shevchenko played 45 games and scored 28 goals.

Ronaldinho is definitely one of the most popular players in the history of professional football and he has proved his amazing skills by winnings a number of titles and awards. In addition to showing great performances when playing in different clubs, Ronaldinho also was a key player for the Brazilian national team and scored 33 goals while playing for Brazil. He had a key role in the 2002 FIFA World Cup win and scored two goals against England. In 2004 he was voted FIFA World Player of the Year and in 2005, Ronaldinho won the Ballon d’Or award. During the 2004 - 2005 season, he played 42 games for Barcelona and scored 13 goals.

Fabio Cannavaro is a famous former Italian professional footballer who had a very successful career as a player. After playing a couple of seasons with SSC Napoli, he moved to Parma AC and won Coppa Italia titles, the Supercoppa Italiana in 1999 and the UEFA Cup of the same year. After playing for Inter Milan and Juventus, he transferred to Real Madrid in 2006. He won the club two consecutive La Liga titles in 2007 and 2008. He also led the Italian national team to great success in 2006 with a FIFA World Cup win in Germany. That year, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year and he also received the Ballon d’Or award. During the 2005 - 2006 season, Cannavaro played 47 games with Juventus and scored 4 goals.

Kaká is a former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder and he enjoyed many achievements throughout his career as a football player. He first debuted in 2001 and, in 2003, he joined Serie A club Milan where he won Serie A Footballer of the Year twice. In 2007 he helped Milan win the UEFA Champions League final and became the top goal scorer of the tournament. That was also the year Kaká received the Ballon d’Or award, accumulating 444 points. This was following his 2006 - 2007 season with 48 appearances with Milan and 18 goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a professional football player who has gained a lot of popularity and is often regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He has won four European Golden Shoes and a number of other awards for his individual skills on the field. Cristiano Ronaldo is the first Portuguese player to sign with Manchester United in the 2003 - 2004 season. During the 2006 - 2007 season, Cristiano Ronaldo proved to be a very skillful player as he won his first Premier League. At the end of the year, in a match against Aston Villa, he scored three braces in a row. On 12 January 2008, he scored his first hat-trick for Manchester United and contributed to the 6-0 victory over Newcastle United. In 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo received the Ballon d’Or award for the first time. During the 2007 - 2008 season he played 49 games and scored 42 goals.

Messi is a professional footballer who is known for his amazing skills as a forward and captain of both Barcelona and the national team of Argentina. Currently, he is one of the two players who have received the Ballon d’Or award the most times. In 2009, he received the prize for the first time following his 2008 - 2009 season when he was chosen as the top goalscorer of the Champions League. Thanks to Messi, that season Barcelona won titles like Supercopa de España, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup. During the 2008 - 2009 season, Messi played a total of 51 games and scored 38 goals.

Between 2010 and 2015, the Ballon d’Or award was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year. The first receiver of the so-called FIFA Ballon d’Or was Messi who continued showing a great technique and won plenty of titles. During the World Cup in South Africa, Argentina was a strong contender for the title and Messi played an important role as a captain in the performance of the national team. Argentina lost at the quarter-final against Germany but Messi’s performance was not neglected and he won the FIFA Ballon d’Or award. During the 2009 - 2010 season, he played a total of 53 games and scored 47 goals for Barcelona.

In 2011, Messi was unstoppable and he won the prestigious award of FIFA Ballon d’Or yet again. While playing for Barcelona, Messi scored a record number of goals, he did not achieve big success with the Argentinian national team. While Argentina did not succeed in winning the Copa América title, in 2011 the new captain of the national team gave Messi the captain position. With a new strategy and Messi as a captain of the team, the upcoming season was very strong and the Ballon d’Or award was well-deserved. During the 2010 - 2011 season, Messi played a total of 55 games for Barcelona and scored 53 goals. As for the national team of Argentina, Messi played 13 times and scored 4 goals in 2011.

Messi managed to break several records in 2012, proving that this was also his year. Following a very successful season, he amazed everyone by scoring five goals in a Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen. This was a record for that competition and it made Messi a top goal scorer with 14 goals in total. After just two weeks, Messi also became the top goal scorer in the history of Barcelona. He finished the season as a top goal scorer for both Spain and Europe and that was his second time winning these titles. During the 2011 -2012 season, he had a total of 60 appearances and scored 73 goals.

The beginning of the 2012 - 2013 season for Cristiano Ronaldo began with winning the Supercopa de España title. In a 4-1 victory over Ajax, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first hat-trick in the Champions League. Just a few days later, he also became the first footballer to score goals in six consecutive Clásicos thanks to his performance in the 2-2 draw match at Camp Nou. Cristiano Ronaldo became a captain of Real Madrid for the first time during that season and he led the team to a 4-3 victory over Real Sociedad. He also played a key role in the club advancing to the Copa del Rey final. In 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo received the FIFA Ballon d’Or award. During the 2012 - 2013 season, he had 55 appearances, during which he scored 55 goals in total.

Cristiano Ronaldo had a key role in the qualifications for the 2014 World Cup as he scored 8 goals in total. In 2014, in a friendly match against Cameroon, he scored two goals, contributing to the 5-1 victory. Thanks to his 50th international goal, which was performed in a winning 2-1 match against Ghana, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first Portuguese footballer to play and score in 3 World Cup tournaments. On 14 November 2014, he scored a goal in a victory over Armenia and he became an all-time leading goal scorer with 23 goals in the European Championship. During his 2013 - 2014 season, Cristiano Ronaldo had 47 appearances with Real Madrid and scored a total of 51 goals. In 2014, he received the FIFA Ballon d’Or for a second consecutive time.

Messi started the 2014 - 2015 season strong and he managed to break a few other records. He won the all-time top scorer in La Liga thanks to a hat-trick against Sevilla. Yet another hat-trick won him the title of top goal scorer in Derbi barceloní with a total of 12 goals. At the beginning of 2015, a 3-1 victory over Atlético Madrid marked a very strong season for Messi as he was one of the footballers that contributed with a goal. That year, Messi also won the La Liga and Copa del Rey title and scored 2 goals in a 3-0 victory over Bayern Munich, winning the semi-final of the Champions League. UEFA named his second goal as the best goal of the season. Barcelona, with the help of Messi, got to the finals and enjoy the win of the Champions League title. During that season, Messi had a total of 54 games and scored 31 goals for Barcelona.

While Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year were combined for several years, in 2016, the two awards became two separate titles yet again. Cristiano Ronaldo won the 2016 Ballon d’Or award thanks to his amazing performance during the season. He scored 6 goals in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and this brought his tally to a total of 68 international goals. During the 2015 - 2016 season, Cristiano Ronaldo became the top goal scorer of Real Madrid both in the league and in all competitions. That is due to his 48 appearances during that season and scoring a total of 51 goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo received the Ballon d’Or award yet again in 2017, making him the second footballer to receive the prestigious award a total of 5 times. During the 2016 - 2017 UEFA Champions League, Ronaldo scored both of the goals that brought the 2-1 victory in the semi-finals over Bayern Munich. This brought him the achievement of being the first footballer to reach his 100th goal in the UEFA Champions League. He performed a hat-trick in a 3-0 victory over Atlético Madrid in the semi-final of the Champions League. He also scored two goals, helping for the win over Juventus in the final. Finishing the season with 46 games and 42 goals, Ronaldo also helped Real Madrid to enjoy the La Liga title which they have not won since 2012.

Luka Modrić is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Real Madrid and is also the captain of the Croatian national team. In 2016, he won the award for the best midfielder by La Liga for a second time. In 2017 and 2018 he also received UEFA Club Football Award for the best midfielder and in 2018, he received the Ballon d’Or award. Modrić played a key role in Real Madrid’s performance at the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League. In addition to that, he participated in every major tournament that Croatia was participating, including the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Thanks to his great skills that he demonstrated while playing both for his club and the Croatia national team, he received the Ballon d’Or award. During the 2017 - 2018 season, he played a total of 43 games and scored 2 goals.