The winner of the Ballon d’Or 2025 will be revealed on Monday, September 22, 2025, during a ceremony held at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
Created in 1956 by France Football, this trophy was initially reserved for European players before opening up to players of other nationalities playing in Europe between 1995 and 2006. Since then, the award has been given to the best player in the world, regardless of league or nationality.
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The player with the most Ballon d’Or trophies is Lionel Messi. The 2022 World Cup champion has claimed this accolade eight times, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (five trophies).
Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff, and Marco van Basten have each won the Ballon d’Or three times, while Franz Beckenbauer, Ronaldo, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Kevin Keegan, and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge have each etched their names on the trophy twice.
The complete Ballon d’Or winners list:
2022: Karim Benzema (France – Real Madrid)
2021: Lionel Messi (Argentina – FC Barcelona and Paris SG)
2020: Not awarded due to the Covid-19 pandemic
2019: Lionel Messi (Argentina – FC Barcelona)
2018: Luka Modric (Croatia – Real Madrid)