Initially introduced in 1956, it aimed to recognize the finest talents in Europe and was known as the European Footballer of the Year for many years.
It wasn’t until 1995 that non-European players based at European clubs became eligible, and only in 2007 did it become a truly global award.
Pele is one of the rare players who can genuinely contend for the title of the greatest of all time. He became football’s first global superstar at the 1958 World Cup as a 17-year-old, dominating the sport for the next eight years and intermittently thereafter.
France Football, the magazine that established and manages the Ballon d’Or, named Pele the Football Player of the Century in 1999. Although he was ineligible to win the Ballon d’Or during his career, France Football retrospectively recognized Pele and other pre-1995 legends as deserving winners through an international re-evaluation, though the official records remain unchanged.
Diego Maradona
Best chances: 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990
Like Pele, Diego Maradona was deemed a worthy winner despite being ineligible at the time. He could have claimed the award in 1986 and 1990, with additional possibilities in 1987 and 1989 as one of the top players of the late 1980s.
Beyond his World Cup heroics with Argentina in 1986, Maradona led Napoli to two Serie A titles and a UEFA Cup victory. The club hadn’t secured a European trophy since and only ended a 33-year Serie A drought in 2023.
Ferenc Puskas
Best chances: 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962
Ferenc Puskas was at his peak before the Ballon d’Or era began. He was the star of Hungary’s golden generation in the early 1950s, leading them to a 32-game unbeaten streak, defeating England home and away in 1953 and 1954, and nearly winning the World Cup in the latter year.
Puskas’ career was disrupted by politics when he refused to return to Hungary after a 1956 uprising was suppressed. After a two-year ban, he joined Real Madrid in 1958 at age 31, where he continued to score prolifically, including 47 goals in the 1959/60 season and four in the 1960 European Cup final.
Xavi
Best chances: 2009, 2010, 2011
Xavi was the engine of Spain and Barcelona’s dominant teams from the late 2000s into the next decade. Despite his brilliance, he was frequently overshadowed by teammate Lionel Messi.
While both Spain and Barcelona thrived because of Xavi, Messi won the Ballon d’Or four consecutive years from 2009 to 2012.
Andres Iniesta
Best chances: 2010, 2011, 2012
Similar to Xavi, Andres Iniesta is celebrated as one of the greatest midfielders in football history. Scoring the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final was his pinnacle, but Iniesta’s broader contributions defined an era of unmatched success for both club and country.
Paolo Maldini
Best chances: 1990, 1994, 2003
Unlike some defenders known for aggressive play, Paolo Maldini excelled through incredible anticipation and positioning, often staying one step ahead of attackers.
Coupled with his longevity and a highly successful career with AC Milan, particularly in European competitions, Maldini was a deserving candidate for the Ballon d’Or multiple times.
David Beckham
Best chances: 1999, 2001
David Beckham played a crucial role in Manchester United’s treble-winning season of 1998/99. This was all the more impressive given the nationwide abuse he faced, which could have easily broken a lesser player.
Modern perceptions of 1990s football and Beckham’s celebrity status sometimes overshadow his talent and performances. In reality, he finished second in the 1999 Ballon d’Or standings, his closest brush with the award.
Romario
Best chances: 1993, 1994, 2000
Romario’s prolific career spanned the 1995 change in Ballon d’Or eligibility rules. Despite playing extensively for PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona, much of his football post-1995 was outside Europe, making him ineligible.
Romario consistently surpassed 30 goals for both PSV and Barca, shining brightest in 1993 and 1994. France Football’s re-evaluation recognized his contributions, bolstered by Brazil’s World Cup victory in 1994. In 2000, Romario scored 66 goals for Vasco da Gama.
Thierry Henry
Best chances: 2003, 2004, 2005
In 2003, Thierry Henry finished as the runner-up for the Ballon d’Or, significantly behind the winner, Pavel Nedved. Despite his slip in the rankings in subsequent years, Henry was an integral part of Arsenal’s Invincibles in 2004 and clinched the European Golden Shoe. He retained this title in 2005 as Europe’s top scorer.
Robert Lewandowski
Best chances: 2020, 2021
One of the greatest disappointments in Ballon d’Or history is Robert Lewandowski not winning in 2020. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting life, football continued, but the Ballon d’Or was not awarded. Lewandowski had a stellar year, scoring 55 goals for Bayern Munich and winning the Champions League. In 2021, even though Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or, Lewandowski scored an impressive 41 goals in 29 league matches.
Alan Shearer
Best chances: 1995, 1996
It seems unfair that Alan Shearer received only one vote and finished joint-last in the 1995 Ballon d’Or standings. Although English football was not highly regarded at the time, Shearer’s 34 Premier League goals led Blackburn Rovers to glory. In 1995/96, he scored another 31 goals, won the top scorer award at Euro ’96, and became the most expensive player in history, ultimately finishing third in the Ballon d’Or standings. His goalscoring feats remain unmatched in modern English football.
Wayne Rooney
Best chances: 2010, 2012
Wayne Rooney’s best individual seasons, 2009/10 and 2011/12, did not yield Premier League titles by the narrowest margins.
Despite this, Rooney showcased his ability as both a scorer of great goals and a great goalscorer for Manchester United. Rooney was consistently excellent from 2004 onwards, with his performance at Euro 2004 being a significant ‘what if’ moment due to a broken foot.
Ian Rush
Best chances: 1983, 1984
Ian Rush’s record of 346 goals for Liverpool is unlikely to be broken. The Welsh striker scored most of these goals when the Reds were the best team in Europe, winning the 1984 European Cup and scoring 47 goals across all competitions. Rush was Liverpool’s top scorer in eight seasons during his two spells with the club.
Zico
Best chances: 1981, 1982
Zico, a Brazilian icon, was never eligible to win the Ballon d’Or, as his career was mostly over by 1995 and he played predominantly outside Europe.
He was named South American Footballer of the Year in 1977, 1981, and 1982, during a time when Brazil experienced a revival after a post-Pele slump. With Flamengo, Zico dominated club football, winning national titles, the Copa Libertadores in 1981, and beating European champions Liverpool to win the Intercontinental Cup.
Gianluigi Buffon
Best chances: 2003, 2006
Since Lev Yashin in 1963, no goalkeeper has won the Ballon d’Or. Gianluigi Buffon came close, and he is considered one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.
Buffon played for leading Serie A clubs for two decades, winning the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award 13 times and being named the world’s best goalkeeper by the IFFHS five times.
Frank Lampard
Best chances: 2005, 2006, 2010
Frank Lampard redefined what it meant to be a goalscoring midfielder, guiding Chelsea to unprecedented success. Lampard consistently scored double figures in the Premier League for ten consecutive seasons, peaking at 22 goals (27 in all competitions) during the 2009/10 campaign.
Steven Gerrard
Best chances: 2005, 2009
Steven Gerrard epitomized Liverpool during his career. Despite not playing in an era when Liverpool were financially competitive, Gerrard led the team to win the Champions League, carrying them on his back. The Ballon d’Or often rewarded individual performances rather than trophies, and Gerrard would have thrived under such criteria.
John Charles
Best chances: 1958, 1959, 1960
John Charles, a towering Welsh footballer, is relatively unknown outside of Leeds United and Juventus. He excelled as both a forward and a centre-back in the late 1950s and had even more success in Italy. The 1958 World Cup quarter-final against Brazil remains a significant ‘what if’ moment in football history, as Charles was injured and missed the match during his peak.
Roberto Carlos
Best chances: 2000, 2002
Roberto Carlos revolutionized the full-back role, turning it into a more attacking position. The Brazilian won three Champions League titles and four La Liga titles with Real Madrid and the 2002 World Cup with Brazil. Despite his success, being a defender may have limited his chances in the Ballon d’Or stakes.
Frank Rijkaard
Best chances: 1988, 1989
Frank Rijkaard was part of Dutch football’s world-class trio in the late 1980s, alongside Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten. He inspired AC Milan to European domination and helped the Netherlands win their only men’s international trophy. However, unlike Gullit and Van Basten, Rijkaard never won a Ballon d’Or.
Francesco Totti
Best chances: 2000, 2001, 2007
Francesco Totti might have had a better chance of winning the Ballon d’Or if he had left Roma for bigger clubs. However, his loyalty to his boyhood club is commendable.
Totti played a record 786 games for Roma and had a significant impact on the team. He was inspired at Euro 2000 with Italy, won Serie A with Roma in 2000/01, and took the European Golden Shoe in 2007.
Neymar
Best chances: 2015, 2017
Neymar’s career has been marked by a mix of brilliance and controversy, with his 2017 transfer to Paris Saint-Germain being a turning point. Despite his success with Barcelona, injuries have plagued his career since joining PSG. However, being Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer cements his greatness, and he has been a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or at various points.
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