From Stanley Matthews winning the very first Ballon d'Or in 1956 to the race for the 70th trophy in October 2026 — the full story of football's most famous individual award.
THE DESK — NOTES & REMARKS
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THE LOWDOWN — THE FULL HISTORY
THE ORIGIN
Stanley Matthews won the inaugural Ballon d'Or in 1956. Alfredo Di Stéfano followed in 1957, George Best brought rockstar charisma to the award in 1968.
THE ARCHITECTS
Johan Cruyff (1971), Franz Beckenbauer (1972) and Michel Platini, who began a three-year reign in 1983, redefined what the award recognised.
THE SWEEP
AC Milan's Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard swept the podium 1-2-3 in both 1988 and 1989.
THE FIRSTS
George Weah became the first non-European winner in 1995. Ronaldo Nazário became the youngest-ever winner at 21 in 1997. Ronaldinho carried the award's global-entertainer era in 2005.
THE DUOPOLY
Messi and Ronaldo shattered the previous record of three wins (held by Cruyff and Platini): Messi with eight, Ronaldo with five.
THE PRESENT
Voting now runs on a standard season rather than a calendar year. The 70th Ballon d'Or is announced in October 2026.
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THE TERRACES — DISCUSSION
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