1
The first winner
The first Ballon d'Or, in 1956, went to England's Stanley Matthews.
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Football trivia
Ballon d'Or facts and curiosities
Data as of 2 November 2026
The Ballon d'Or has been awarded by France Football magazine since 1956. Here are some of its curiosities.
The first winnerMessi and Cristiano, 13 awardsA decade of dominanceThe only goalkeeperThree eachThe first non-EuropeanA Spaniard after 64 yearsThe latest winnersArgentina and France, level
2
Messi and Cristiano, 13 awards
Between them they have 13 Ballons d'Or: eight for Messi and five for Cristiano Ronaldo.
3
A decade of dominance
Between 2008 and 2017 Messi and Cristiano shared all ten Ballons d'Or. Luka Modrić broke the run in 2018.
4
The only goalkeeper
The Soviet Union's Lev Yashin won it in 1963, the only goalkeeper to do so.
5
Three each
Michel Platini (1983, 1984, 1985), Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten each won three Ballons d'Or.
6
The first non-European
Until 1995 only European players were eligible. Liberia's George Weah became the first non-European winner that year.
7
A Spaniard after 64 years
In 2024 Rodri became the first Spaniard to win it since Luis Suárez in 1960.
8
The latest winners
Messi (2023), Rodri (2024) and Ousmane Dembélé (2025).
9
Argentina and France, level
By country, Argentina and France have 8 awards each; Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands have 7.
Sources: Al Jazeera · Ballon d'Or: countries and players · Wikipedia · Ballon d'Or. Data as of 2 November 2026.
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