Ballon d’Or

Players recognised by the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or awards.

People in Ballon d’Or

30 profiles

Athlete

Johan Cruyff

Shaping Total Football as a player and transforming Barcelona as a coach.

Athlete

Franz Beckenbauer

Winning the World Cup as both a captain and a coach, and redefining the attacking sweeper.

Athlete

Alfredo Di Stéfano

Leading Real Madrid’s five consecutive European Cup victories.

Athlete

Michel Platini

Leading France to the 1984 European Championship with nine goals in five matches.

Athlete

Marco van Basten

Scoring the celebrated Euro 1988 final volley and winning three Ballons d’Or.

Athlete

George Weah

Becoming the first African Ballon d’Or winner, then serving as president of Liberia.

Athlete

Rivaldo

Combining spectacular goals for Barcelona with a central role in Brazil’s 2002 World Cup win.

Athlete

Luís Figo

Winning the Ballon d’Or and starring on the wing for Barcelona, Real Madrid and Portugal.

Athlete

Kaká

Driving Milan’s 2007 Champions League victory and winning the Ballon d’Or.

Athlete

Andriy Shevchenko

Winning the Ballon d’Or with Milan and leading Ukraine at its first World Cup.

Athlete

Pavel Nedvěd

Winning the 2003 Ballon d’Or as Juventus’s tireless midfield creator.

Athlete

Luka Modrić

Leading Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final and winning six Champions Leagues with Real Madrid.

Athlete

Ada Hegerberg

Becoming the first Women’s Ballon d’Or winner and a leading Champions League goalscorer.

Athlete

Aitana Bonmatí

Winning the World Cup with Spain and three consecutive Women’s Ballons d’Or.

Athlete

Alexia Putellas

Winning consecutive Women’s Ballons d’Or and helping Barcelona reach the top of European football.

Athlete

Lev Yashin

Becoming the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or.

Athlete

Kevin Keegan

Winning two Ballons d’Or after helping Liverpool become European champions.

Athlete

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

Winning consecutive Ballons d’Or and leading Bayern Munich’s attack.

Athlete

Ruud Gullit

Captaining the Netherlands to Euro 1988 and starring in Milan’s European-winning team.

Athlete

Matthias Sammer

Winning Euro 1996 as an attacking sweeper and receiving the Ballon d’Or.

Athlete

Fabio Cannavaro

Captaining Italy to the 2006 World Cup and winning the Ballon d’Or as a defender.

Athlete

Michael Owen

Winning the 2001 Ballon d’Or after breaking through as a teenage England striker.

Athlete

Igor Belanov

Winning the 1986 Ballon d’Or after European success with Dynamo Kyiv.

Athlete

Oleg Blokhin

Becoming a Dynamo Kyiv scoring great and winning the 1975 Ballon d’Or.

Athlete

Denis Law

Becoming Manchester United’s “King” and winning the 1964 Ballon d’Or.

Athlete

Raymond Kopa

Winning three European Cups with Real Madrid and the 1958 Ballon d’Or.

Athlete

Gianni Rivera

Directing Milan’s midfield and becoming the first Italian-born Ballon d’Or winner.

Athlete

Gerd Müller

Scoring the winning goal in the 1974 World Cup final and transforming Bayern Munich’s fortunes.

Athlete

Eusébio

Leading Portugal’s 1966 World Cup run and becoming Benfica’s most celebrated goalscorer.

Athlete

Stanley Matthews

Becoming the first Ballon d’Or winner and playing top-flight football into his fifties.