Soccer

Ranking every Ballon d’Or winner of the Champions League era

November 1, 2023
17 21 minutes read

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  • Chris Wright, Toe Poke authorOct 30, 2023, 05:45 PM ET

While the Ballon d’Or itself has been offered in various circumstances over the years, the core precept at its coronary heart has remained unchanged. Ever since Sir Stanley Matthews turned the inaugural winner in 1956, proper as much as Lionel Messi receiving the males’s prize for a record-extending eighth time Monday, being handed the golden ball is thought to be the most prestigious particular person honour out there in soccer.

Originally, solely gamers from Europe have been eligible to win the Ballon d’Or (when it was generally known as the European Footballer of the Year award) and the judging panel assembled by French journal France Football, the founders of the award, consisted solely of journalists. However, this has been considerably expanded over time.

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In 1995, the award was opened as much as gamers from wherever in the world who plied their commerce at European golf equipment, after which in 2007 it turned a world award with coaches and captains of nationwide groups additionally permitted to vote. This has since been restricted to the coaches and captains of the prime 100 groups in FIFA’s world rating.

In 2010, the prize was merged with FIFA World Player of the Year award just for them to separate once more in 2015. That led to the rebranded The Best FIFA prize, which honoured each female and male gamers, and two years later the Ballon d’Or Féminin was created to comply with swimsuit (and received this yr by Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí.)

Traditionally the award was bestowed to the participant deemed to have carried out greatest over the earlier calendar yr. This modified in 2022 when the parameters have been shifted to acknowledge performances over the course of a footballing season as an alternative.

No participant has received extra Ballon d’Or awards than Messi, who has eight to his title. Cristiano Ronaldo is second on the leaderboard with 5 awards, whereas a number of footballing luminaries are tied in third place with three awards every: Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten.

The award was not offered in 2020 on account of the disruption brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, which many really feel denied Robert Lewandowski what ought to have been his maiden Ballon d’Or.

Here we current an in-depth rating of every Ballon d’Or profitable yr/season of the fashionable era — ergo, since the previous European Cup turned the Champions League in 1992.

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31. Matthias Sammer (1996)

Sammer proved to be a formidable presence at the coronary heart of Borussia Dortmund’s defence all through the 1995-96 season as the German facet retained their Bundesliga title, though they exited each the DfB Pokal and the Champions League at the quarterfinal stage. Sammer was equally resolute for Germany as they received the European Championship (he even scored the winner in opposition to Croatia in the quarterfinals) which was simply sufficient to offer the sweeper the Ballon d’Or nod over Barcelona powerhouse Ronaldo Nazario by a single level in the vote (144-143,) the closest margin the historical past of the award.

30. George Weah (1995)

The first version of the Ballon d’Or to incorporate gamers born outdoors of Europe was bestowed upon Liberia striker George Weah, who completed the 1994-95 season as the prime objective scorer in the Champions League with seven targets for PSG regardless of being eradicated by AC Milan in the semis. He then joined Milan and received the Serie A title in his debut season, although his Ballon d’Or got here a number of months previous to the Scudetto being secured.

29. Pavel Nedved (2003)

Industrious and influential in his attacking midfield function for Juventus, Nedved picked up a clutch of particular person awards throughout 2003-04, together with the Golden Foot (awarded to the greatest participant in the world over the age of 29), FIFA’s World Footballer of the Year and the 2003 Ballon d’Or. The flaxen-haired Czechia star was put ahead as the winner by greater than half of the 52 voters regardless of Thierry Henry hitting peak type for Arsenal throughout the identical interval, with the France ahead scoring greater than 40 targets for membership and nation over the course of the calendar yr.

28. Roberto Baggio (1993)

Baggio scored a mixed 38 league targets over the course of the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons. However, his solely main honour of the interval got here on the continent as Juventus have been topped UEFA Cup (now often known as the Europa League) winners in 1992-93, with the sleek ahead scoring twice and offering an help in the two-legged closing victory over Dortmund. The participant often known as Il Divin Codino (The Divine Ponytail) was nonetheless the reigning Ballon d’Or when he missed the decisive penalty in Italy’s shootout loss to Brazil in the 1994 World Cup closing.

27. Michael Owen (2001)

Owen adopted Sir Stanley Matthews (1956), Sir Bobby Charlton (1966) and Kevin Keegan (1978 and 1979) to grow to be the fourth English recipient of the Ballon d’Or. The thrilling younger striker burst onto the scene as an adolescent with Liverpool 4 years beforehand and had already scored a copious quantity of targets. His contribution to the Reds’ cup treble in 2000-01 (comprising of the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup) landed him the golden bauble forward of Real Madrid striker Raul and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.

Owen scored two targets in a memorable win over Arsenal in the 2001 FA Cup closing to finish the treble earlier than additionally scoring the decisive objective in a 3-2 victory over Bayern Munich to land the UEFA Super Cup the following August — the Reds’ fourth cup triumph of 2001. Then, simply 4 days after his twenty second birthday, Owen turned the second youngest recipient of the Ballon d’Or behind Ronaldo Nazario, who nonetheless holds the report to this present day.

26. Luis Figo (2000)

While pivotal for Portugal at Euro 2000 and demonstrably good in LaLiga all through, Figo did not handle to win something throughout the calendar yr in query — the very yr through which he discovered himself at the epicentre of the extreme ructions brought on by his controversial switch between Barcelona and rivals Real Madrid. But that did not stop the skilful midfielder from taking the prime honours in the Ballon d’Or vote.

25. Andriy Shevchenko (2004)

Shevchenko was peerless for Milan in Serie A, scoring 24 league targets and profitable the Scudetto throughout the 2003-04 season whereas staking his declare as one of the most fearsome all-action forwards in world soccer. However, the Rossoneri didn’t make a lot headway in the Champions League knockout section — having received the competitors the earlier yr — and Shevchenko’s aura alone wasn’t sufficient to e-book Ukraine a spot at Euro 2004.

24. Kaka (2007)

The final participant to win the Ballon d’Or earlier than Messi and Ronaldo’s lengthy duopoly over the award started, Kaka was glorious for AC Milan in 2006-07, significantly in the Champions League the place the Brazilian’s surging dribbles and artistic attacking play have been a chief function of the Rossoneri’s run to continental glory. However, his type was a lot spottier in home competitors as Milan completed a distant fourth in the Scudetto chase and exited the Coppa Italia at the semifinal stage.

23. Marco van Basten (1992)

The first participant to be awarded the Ballon d’Or following the rebranding of the Champions League, Van Basten was lauded for firing AC Milan to the Serie A title in 1991-92 with 25 targets in 31 video games earlier than taking a starring function for Netherlands of their run to the semifinals of Euro 1992 that noticed him wind up in the workforce of the event. Unfortunately, a persistent ankle harm successfully compelled the Dutch ahead into early retirement the following yr.

22. Fabio Cannavaro (2006)

A uncommon instance of a defender having their efforts recognised, Cannavaro received the Ballon d’Or in 2006 nearly completely on account of his stoic management of Italy as they beat the odds to elevate the World Cup that summer time. Things then went awry at membership degree when Juve received the 2005-06 Serie A title solely to have it taken away as an end result of the Calciopoli scandal.

21. Ronaldinho (2005)

The flamboyant Brazilian drove Barcelona forth to finish their six-year watch for a LaLiga title. Ronaldinho “only” scored 13 targets in all competitions however his ingenious hyperlink play and instinctive creativity allowed strike companion Samuel Eto’o to weigh in with a hefty 29 targets as Barca held off Real Madrid to take the title by 4 factors. However, underwhelming collective performances in each the home cup and the Champions League took a bit of of the shine off issues.

20. Rivaldo (1999)

Rivaldo really was Barcelona’s main gentle throughout the 1998-99 marketing campaign with the Brazilian maestro scoring 24 league targets and laying on a slew of assists as the Catalans stampeded to the Spanish title, ending 11 factors clear of second-place Real Madrid. However, Rivaldo nonetheless completed runner-up behind Raul in the LaLiga golden boot race and solely mustered 5 additional targets throughout all competitions as Barca got here unstuck in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals after struggling the ignominy of failing to make it by way of their Champions League group.

Dragging Croatia by way of to a World Cup closing was no imply feat, nor was enjoying a central function in Real Madrid’s valiant Champions League triumph — their third consecutive European Cup win and thirteenth general. It felt as if the footballing world had pointedly damaged the Messi-Ronaldo stranglehold to salute the veteran midfielder for his good profession, quite than simply his displaying that yr.

18. Ronaldo Nazario (2002)

Grounded by a succession of ligament accidents, Ronaldo mustered simply 17 league appearances throughout the three seasons main as much as the 2002 World Cup, although he did handle to attain seven targets in 10 video games for Real Madrid in 2001-02 in between layoffs. However, regardless of lacking the whole qualification marketing campaign, the World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea ignited one thing in Ronaldo who defied the naysayers and roared again to type, scoring a report eight targets at the event as Brazil turned world champions for a record-extending fifth time. He was awarded the Ballon d’Or nearly solely based mostly on his performances in these seven video games however, 4 years after he performed in the 1998 World Cup closing loss to France regardless of struggling a seizure shortly earlier than the sport, it was onerous to disclaim him his honour this time.

17. Hristo Stoichkov (1994)

Another participant who benefitted from shining on the world stage, Stoichkov was at his impudent greatest with Barcelona in the 1993-94 season as his targets helped ship the LaLiga title. He then continued his type into the 1994 World Cup as Bulgaria have been the shock bundle. While their underdog run got here to an finish in opposition to Italy in the semifinals, Stoichkov ended the event as joint-top objective scorer with six targets.

Only the second participant outdoors of the Messi-Ronaldo bubble to win the Ballon d’Or since 2008, Benzema picked up his first award in 2022 on the again of a vastly profitable season with Real Madrid. Aged 34 at the time, the French striker picked up the mantle as Los Blancos’ artistic point of interest and scored 44 targets in 46 appearances whereas profitable each the LaLiga title and the Champions League, the place he scored decisive targets at every stage by way of the knockout section en path to the closing.

15. Lionel Messi (2021)

It’s truthful to say that 2021 wasn’t precisely a classic yr for Messi, who reluctantly departed Barcelona after 20 years in Catalonia and was solely capable of log out by profitable the Copa del Rey in his farewell season. While there have been a number of standout performances in the Champions League, Messi made an uncharacteristically sluggish begin to life at Paris Saint-Germain, taking a number of months to mattress in at his new membership. The intervening summer time worldwide schedule provided a well timed distraction from the heartache as Messi solid a profession spotlight by serving to Argentina steamroll their approach to the Copa America. Indeed, their captain completed as prime scorer and was voted Player of the Tournament as the Albiceleste beat historic rivals Brazil in the closing to say their first main honour in 28 years.

However, Messi did not garner the widespread consensus in 2021 with many believing that the Ballon d’Or as an alternative belonged to Lewandowski, who had been so cruelly denied the 2020 award after France Football determined to cancel the complete factor at comparatively quick discover on account of the “lack of a sufficiently level playing field” brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

After hitting 55 targets in all competitions in 2019-20 and finally wrapping up a sextuple with Bayern, Lewandowski rolled over his deadly type into the following yr and even went onto break Gerd Muller’s 50-year-old report for targets scored in a single Bundesliga season on the approach to profitable yet one more Bundesliga title. However, the Bayern poacher needed to make do with ending second behind Messi in the 2021 Ballon d’Or working.

Indeed, a contrite Messi even made some extent of imploring France Football to retroactively award the 2020 trophy to Lewandowski throughout his acceptance speech and that his rival deserved to have his accomplishments recognised.

“Robert, you deserve your Ballon d’Or,” Messi stated from the rostrum. “Last year, everyone was in agreement to say that you were the big winner of this award. Hopefully France Football will give you the 2020 Ballon d’Or. We all believe you deserved it and I hope you can have it at home.”

Instead, the French publication swiftly devised a brand new award, the “Striker of the Year,” which was doled out to Lewandowski as a imprecise comfort. Still, he managed to just accept the meagre providing with enough gratitude.

14. Lionel Messi (2019)

Messi received the Ballon d’Or for a report sixth time in 2019 (and his first since 2015) after he was immediately concerned in 63 targets for membership and nation over the course of the yr. This included a portion of the 36 targets he scored in 34 league video games as Barcelona efficiently defended their LaLiga title in 2018-19, with an extra 12 targets scored in simply 10 Champions League appearances on prime of that. As effectively as his tenth Spanish league title, Messi additionally received his sixth European Golden Shoe as the continent’s prime objective scorer and noticed his beautiful free kick in opposition to Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal (additionally his 600th objective for Barca) voted as the greatest objective of the event.

13. Cristiano Ronaldo (2013)

After sitting idly by and watching Messi hoover up the 4 earlier Ballon d’Ors, Ronaldo determined sufficient was sufficient and set out on a one-man mission to reclaim the treasured trophy he had final taken as a Manchester United participant. Ronaldo’s attacking productiveness was staggering, scoring 55 targets in 55 video games all through 2013, however sadly it did not translate into any tangible honours as Real Madrid didn’t win a single trophy over the length.

12. Zinedine Zidane (1998)

A staple on the shortlist for a number of years. Zidane lastly had his second in 1998. In excellent sync with Alessandro Del Piero and Fillipo Inzaghi, the French virtuoso had already performed a significant half in a single of Juventus’ most profitable seasons, profitable the Serie A title and solely simply lacking out on the Champions League double after struggling the narrowest of defeats in opposition to Real Madrid in the closing. However, his crowning glory came to visit the summer time as a succession of dominant performances in the coronary heart of the France workforce, plus two headed targets in opposition to Brazil in the closing, noticed Zidane guarantee each his and Les Bleus’ footballing immortality at the 1998 World Cup.

11. Ronaldo Nazario (1997)

After lacking out by a single level in the voting to Sammer the earlier yr, Ronaldo was made to defer what felt like an inevitable Ballon d’Or for simply 12 months. Thankfully, the rampant Brazil striker was capable of preserve his irresistible type, first with Barcelona after which with new membership Inter Milan. In only one season with Barca, Ronaldo powered by way of 47 targets in 49 video games in all competitions, profitable the Cup Winners’ Cup and Copa del Rey. He then switched to Inter for the 1997-98 season and promptly picked up the place he left off, scoring 34 targets in his debut marketing campaign as the Nerazzuri received the UEFA Cup. To date, O Fenomeno continues to be the youngest participant ever to win the Ballon d’Or after profitable his first at 21 years and 96 days previous.

10. Cristiano Ronaldo (2008)

After taking the Premier League by storm with Manchester United, Ronaldo scooped his first Ballon d’Or in 2008 after ending runner-up to Kaka the earlier yr. The Portugal worldwide had begun his transition from wily winger to fearsome ahead as he performed an integral half in two consecutive title victories for Sir Alex Ferguson’s United workforce after which opening the scoring in opposition to Chelsea of their rain-lashed 2007-08 Champions League closing triumph in Moscow. All in all, Ronaldo scored 42 targets in all competitions throughout that marketing campaign.

9. Lionel Messi (2010)

Fresh from accumulating his maiden Ballon d’Or in 2009, Messi continued in a lot the identical vein the following yr as his numbers continued to swell. Having switched from a large function into the coronary heart of the assault, the diminutive ahead blossomed and scored 34 league targets in 2009-10 as Barca sailed to a second consecutive LaLiga title. The Argentine was equally achieved in the Champions League, scoring 4 occasions in a single match in opposition to Arsenal on his approach to ending as prime objective scorer in the competitors. However, Barca have been knocked out in the semifinals by Jose Mourinho’s dogged Inter Milan facet and Messi additionally struggled to achieve his zenith at the 2010 World Cup. He went house with out scoring a single objective after the Albiceleste have been closely crushed by Germany in the quarterfinals.

8. Lionel Messi (2023)

Messi prolonged his personal prestigious report by profitable the eighth Ballon d’Or of his profession in 2023 which got here after the veteran ahead dutifully led Argentina to World Cup glory at the tail finish of 2022. His membership profession had plateaued — at the least by his personal inimitable requirements — throughout his second yr with Paris Saint-Germain however the winter World Cup in Qatar supplied him with each the platform and impetus to fulfil a lifelong ambition.

After a frankly disastrous begin to the event with a loss to Saudi Arabia, the Albiceleste’s talismanic captain rallied his workforce and hauled them by way of to the closing the place they finally ousted reigning champions France in an frenetic encounter — permitting Messi to lastly emulate his hero, the late, nice Diego Maradona, by lifting the World Cup trophy at the age of 35.

All in all, Messi scored seven targets and laid on three assists for Argentina at the World Cup and in doing so turned the first male participant to attain in the group stage, the spherical of 16, the quarterfinals, the semifinals and the closing of a single event. He was additionally named the greatest participant at the 2022 World Cup, turning into the first participant ever to win the Golden Ball twice after doing so when his nation completed runners-up behind Germany in 2014.

That’s to not say that his home season was a complete dud, both. Messi nonetheless received the Ligue 1 title and the French Super Cup with PSG, pitching in with a superbly respectable 21 targets and 20 assists throughout his final marketing campaign in Paris earlier than departing for Inter Miami in July 2023.

Messi has since made a predictably prolific begin to his profession in the U.S., scoring 11 targets in his first 14 video games for Miami whereas additionally managing to win the Concacaf Leagues Cup — his first merchandise of American silverware — in what was solely his seventh aggressive look for his new workforce.

And with that Messi turns into the second oldest participant ever to win the Ballon d’Or at the age of 36 years and 128 days. Amazingly, he must play on for some time longer if he needs to carry that exact report too, as Sir Stanley Matthews was a stately 41 years previous when he received the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956.

7. Cristiano Ronaldo (2014)

Ronaldo collected the 2014 award and unleashed a cathartic “¡SIUU!” in celebration on stage after profitable his second Ballon d’Or in three years and third general. He additionally managed to upstage his nice rival Messi, who wore an extremely snazzy plum-coloured, crushed velvet tuxedo to the gala occasion in Zurich solely to complete a distant runner-up. Indeed, the Real Madrid celebrity retained the prize after scoring 61 targets for membership and nation in 2014 together with his newly set particular person report of 17 targets in the 2013-14 Champions League easing the method for Los Blancos to lastly full “La Decima” by profitable their tenth European Cup title, thus ending a 12-year wait.

The closing in opposition to Atletico Madrid will maybe all the time be remembered for the dramatic 93rd-minute header from Sergio Ramos that despatched the tie into additional time, however Ronaldo’s late penalty wrapped up the scintillating 4-1 comeback and noticed the Portugal icon grow to be the first man to attain in the European Cup closing for 2 totally different profitable groups. However, Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or award did not go with out criticism, with many fast to level out that each he and Portugal suffered a dismal outing at the 2014 World Cup the place they didn’t make it out of the group stage after being hammered by eventual winners Germany of their opening sport.

6. Lionel Messi (2011)

Messi fended off a resolute problem of Ronaldo to say his third Ballon d’Or off the again of a season that noticed him rating 53 targets in all competitions as Barcelona received the LaLiga title, the Spanish Super Cup and the Champions League — topping off their golden marketing campaign with a stunningly dominant 3-1 victory over Manchester United at Wembley through which Messi managed to search out the internet. Messi was the prime objective scorer in the Champions League, and his heroic showings in opposition to Real Madrid in the semifinals adopted by a goal-scoring Man of the Match show in opposition to Manchester United in the closing have gone down as era-defining particular person performances.

5. Cristiano Ronaldo (2017)

In completely irresistible type as soon as once more, Ronaldo scored 42 targets for Real Madrid in all competitions in 2016-17 as the Spanish giants received the double; a dominant haul comprising their thirty third LaLiga title and their twelfth European Cup — and all this regardless of lacking 12 video games of the season on account of a recurring ligament harm. The 32-year-old was particularly immense in the Champions League the place he scored decisive targets in every single spherical from the quarterfinals by way of to the closing, the place a Man of the Match efficiency noticed Ronaldo rating twice in a 4-1 trouncing of Juventus. What’s extra, his additional time hat trick in opposition to Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals additionally noticed Ronaldo grow to be the first participant to attain a century of targets in the Champions League.

4. Lionel Messi (2015)

After back-to-back Ballon d’Or wins for Ronaldo, the trophy was returned into Messi’s stewardship after the 2014-15 noticed the Barcelona star hit new heights as half of the razor-sharp “MSN” attacking trident, alongside Luis Suárez and Neymar. With Messi as the artistic hub, the trio hounded defences throughout the continent as the Catalans received the Copa del Rey, LaLiga, the Champions League, the Spanish Super Cup, the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup in the house of 12 months.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo (2016)

Ronaldo was at his unstoppable greatest all through 2015-16 as the Real Madrid colossus blasted by way of hat trick after hat trick and claimed his third Ballon d’Or in 4 years in consequence. Oddly, in phrases of uncooked statistics, Messi truly had the edge on Ronaldo in 2016, with the former scoring 58 targets and registering 32 assists in 61 video games in comparison with the 51 targets and 17 assists throughout 55 video games accrued by the latter.

However, whereas Messi and Barcelona received the LaLiga title and the Copa del Rey, Ronaldo loved way more prestigious success by profitable the Champions League (together with a tie-turning hat trick in opposition to Wolfsburg in the quarterfinals) with Real after which taking the weight of a complete nation’s expectations on his shoulders to emerge victorious at the Euro 2016 with Portugal. Injury compelled Ronaldo out of the Euro closing after simply 25 minutes however the 33-year-old nonetheless did his bit, performatively marshalling his teammates from the dugout as Éder smashed house the solely objective of the sport in additional time in opposition to France.

2. Lionel Messi (2012)

Decked out in a superb polka-dotted tuxedo for the event, Messi once more emerged victorious in what had already ostensibly grow to be a two-horse race to say an unprecedented fourth consecutive Ballon d’Or. Messi was unable to ship the LaLiga title (which went to Ronaldo’s Real Madrid) whereas additionally being compelled to observe on as Barça tumbled out of the Champions League in the semifinals after shedding in opposition to eventual winners Chelsea over two legs. Indeed, the Argentine was compelled to make do with simply one other Copa del Rey so as to add to his trophy assortment. However, he did rating a report 91 targets for membership and nation throughout 2012 to smash Gerd Muller’s earlier excessive watermark of 85, so it’s onerous to argue with him claiming world sport’s prime particular person honour that yr.

1. Lionel Messi (2009)

In Pep Guardiola’s first season in cost at the Camp Nou, Barcelona received no fewer than six trophies with an effervescent Messi propelling his workforce to a then-unprecedented Spanish home treble (La Liga, Copa del Rey, Super Cup) earlier than including the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup to the assortment earlier than the yr was out.

After rising as as bona fide celebrity, the lank-haired 22-year-old Argentine ahead noticed his prodigious output rewarded together with his first Ballon d’Or having completed a distant runner-up to Ronaldo in the earlier yr’s vote.

The nice sea change was really upon us. The new twin goliaths of fashionable soccer obtained successive Ballon d’Ors and kick-started a decade-long dominance of the award that solely proved to gas the intense rivalry and relentless, record-obliterating one-upmanship between the pair. It also needs to be famous that Messi romped to the 2009 Ballon d’Or by incomes 473 voting factors from a potential whole of 480, beating Ronaldo by an enormous 240-point chasm, the largest margin in the historical past of the award. It was as unanimous because it’s potential to be.

Messi was solely the third Argentina-born participant to win the Ballon d’Or after Alfredo Di Stefano and Omar Sívori did likewise again in 1959 and 1961 respectively. He was additionally the youngest recipient of the trophy since Owen efficiently claimed the accolade as a 21-year-old in 2001.

The truth that he’s nonetheless habitually profitable the award over a decade later is actually astonishing.



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November 1, 2023
17 21 minutes read

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