{
  "id": 6395302,
  "title": "Ballon d’Or history: Full list of winners from 1956 to 2025",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/ballon-dor-history-full-list-of-winners-from-1956-to-2025-6395302",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T07:48:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/ballon-dor-history-full-list-of-winners-from-1956-to-2025/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Ballon d'Or, a prestigious individual football award, has been presented annually since 1956, recognizing exceptional talent and outstanding achievements on the pitch. Created by France Football magazine, the award initially only allowed European players to compete, excluding notable talents such as Pelé and Diego Maradona. In 1995, the eligibility criteria expanded to include players from any nationality playing for European clubs, marking a significant milestone when Liberia's George Weah became the first African and non-European winner in 1995. In 2007, the award became global, extending eligibility beyond players from European clubs. A major branding change occurred between 2010 and 2015 when France Football merged the award with the FIFA World Player of the Year prize, renaming it the FIFA Ballon d'Or. Following the partnership's end in 2015, France Football resumed control of the Ballon d'Or. In 2018, the award expanded to include a women's category, the Ballon d'Or Féminin, with Norway's Ada Hegerberg becoming its first winner. From 2022 onwards, the assessment period shifted from a calendar year to a season-based evaluation. The voting for the men's award is determined by journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA men's world ranking, while the women's award involves journalists from the top 50 countries in the FIFA women's ranking. These jurors rank their preferred candidates, with points allocated based on their placement on the ballot. The award, not determined solely by trophies won, considers individual performance, decisive influence, collective achievements, trophies, sporting conduct, and fair play. Lionel Messi leads the list of the most successful Ballon d'Or winners with eight victories, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five, and Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini with three each. Notably, Platini is the only player to win the award in three consecutive years. The 2025 Ballon d'Or, the 70th edition, will be held in London on October 26, marking the first time the ceremony takes place in the British capital.",
  "summary": "See the complete list of all Ballon d’Or winners from 1956 to the present. Explore the history of football’s most prestigious individual award. Read More: https://punchng.com/ballon-dor-history-full-list-of-winners-from-1956-to-2025/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "FULL LIST: Top 10 greatest dynasties in European football history",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/full-list-top-10-greatest-dynasties-in-european-football-history",
        "published": "2026-09-09T07:48:12.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}