Ballon d’Or award started back in 1956 and it was known as “European Player Of the year award” and only the players from europe were eligible for this award. But In 1995 the rules were changed and any player playing for European club could win it. But in 2009 it was merged with “FIFA’s player of the year award” and became FIFA Ballon d’or which any footballer from any part of the world can win it.
How the Award is Come by
All national team captains and Coaches including one specialist journalists from every country vote for the nominees. They are allowed to pick three players in order of their respective priority and when the drafts are returned, FIFA calculate points account to following criteria:
Each 1st position results to 5 points, the 2nd position is 3 points and 3rd gets 1 point. So around 500 voters (170 national team captains, 170 national coaches and around 170 journalists) points are counted, accumulated and the player with most points get the Ballon Dor award.
Okay then, let's see the list of Ballon D'or winners of all time, list of all the ever exceptional winners of the World Best Player Awards so far since it inception in 1956 till date.
Men's Player of The Year 2017
On September 22, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Lionel Messi were revealed as the final three contenders for the Men's Player of the Year award.
Ballon D'or Winners of All Time
| YEAR | WINNER |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Men's Player of the Year) |
| 2016 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Men's Player of the Year + Ballon D'or) |
| 2015 | Lionel Messi |
| 2014 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| 2013 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| 2012 | Lionel Messi |
| 2011 | Lionel Messi |
| 2010 | Lionel Messi |
| 2009 | Lionel Messi |
| 2008 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| 2007 | Kaká |
| 2006 | Fabio Cannavaro |
| 2005 | Ronaldinho |
| 2004 | Andriy Shevchenko |
| 2003 | Pavel Nedvěd |
| 2002 | Ronaldo |
| 2001 | Michael Owen |
| 2000 | Luís Figo |
| 1999 | Rivaldo |
| 1998 | Zinedine Zidane |
| 1997 | Ronaldo |
| 1996 | Matthias Sammer |
| 1995 | George Weah |
| 1994 | Hristo Stoichkov |
| 1993 | Roberto Baggio |
| 1992 | Marco van Basten |
| 1991 | Jean - Pierre Papin |
| 1990 | Lothar Matthäus |
| 1989 | Marco van Basten |
| 1988 | Marco van Basten |
| 1987 | Ruud Gullit |
| 1986 | Igor Belanov |
| 1985 | Michel Platini |
| 1984 | Michel Platini |
| 1983 | Michel Platini |
| 1982 | Paolo Rossi |
| 1981 | Karl- Heinz Rummenigge |
| 1980 | Karl- Heinz Rummenigge |
| 1979 | Kevin Keegan |
| 1978 | Kevin Keegan |
| 1977 | Allan Simonsen |
| 1976 | Franz Beckenbauer |
| 1975 | Oleg Blokhin |
| 1974 | Johan Cruyff |
| 1973 | Johan Cruyff |
| 1972 | Franz Beckenbauer |
| 1971 | Johan Cruyff |
| 1970 | Gerd Müller |
| 1969 | Gianni Rivera |
| 1968 | George Best |
| 1967 | Flórián Albert |
| 1966 | Bobby Charlton |
| 1965 | Eusébio |
| 1964 | Denis Law |
| 1963 | Lev Yashin |
| 1962 | Josef Masopust |
| 1961 | Omar Sívori |
| 1960 | Luis Suárez |
| 1959 | Alfredo Di Stéfano |
| 1958 | Raymond Kopa |
| 1957 | Alfredo Di Stéfano |
| 1956 | Stanley Matthews |
