The voting process for the Ballon d’Or has changed a lot over the years.
Upon its inception in 1956, the recipient of world football’s most esteemed individual award was originally voted for by only 16 journalists, who simply took players’ performances over the previous calendar year into account.
Now, 100 journalists, each of whom represents one of FIFA’s 100 top-ranked footballing nations, vote for the winner. According to UEFA, they vote based on the following from the previous season:
Individual performances, decisive and impressive character Team performances and achievements Class and fair play
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ByStephan GeorgiouMar 16, 2024 12 Virgil van Dijk 680 points
Only three defenders in history – Franz Beckenbauer, Matthias Sammer and Fabio Cannavaro – have ever won the Ballon d’Or, but Virgil van Dijk came close to becoming the fourth in 2019 when he finished a close second behind Messi.
That year, the Dutchman lost out to the Argentine by only seven points, which is the smallest winning margin since the turn of the century. All bar one of his Ballon d’Or points came in this year.
Since moving to Liverpool in 2018, Van Dijk has established himself as one of the world’s finest central defenders, helping the Reds win the Champions League and a clean sweep of domestic honours.
11 Manuel Neuer 870 points
Bayern Munich and Germany legend Manuel Neuer is widely regarded as the best “sweeper-keeper” of all time thanks to his daring yet successful style of play, which often sees him run out of his box to clear up opposition attacks.
Now 38, he’s won no less than 29 major honours during his career, including 11 Bundesliga titles, two Champions Leagues, and the World Cup. Neuer placed third in the Ballon d’Or in 2014, but becoming world champion was not enough to see him crowned champion.
10 Luka Modric 877 points
Luka Modric is the lowest-placed Ballon d’Or winner in the top 15.
The Croatian midfielder scooped the award in 2018 following a stellar year with Real Madrid and Croatia, which saw Los Blancos win the Champions League for the third consecutive season and Croatia finish runners-up at the World Cup.
Now 39, he’s still going strong for club and country.
9 Karim Benzema 882 points
Another past Ballon d’Or winner, Karim Benzema won the award in 2022 with a score of 549 points – 356 points ahead of second-placed Sadio Mane.
Benzema’s win came after he scored 44 goals for Real Madrid during the 2021/22 season, helping the club win La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup, and the Champions League.
He was due to be part of the France squad that finished as runners-up at the 2022 World Cup, though he did not play in the tournament due to injury.
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1 ByBarney LaneMay 10, 2025 8 Kylian Mbappe 897 points
Aged just 25, Kylian Mbappe has already enjoyed an astonishing career.
In 467 games for club and country, he’s scored 344 goals and has won 19 major honours, including six Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain and the 2018 World Cup with France.
Mbappe finished third in the Ballon d’Or last year, and having completed a high-profile move to Real Madrid in the summer, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before he adds the golden ball to his collection.
7 Robert Lewandowski 1,084 points
Despite his huge points total, Robert Lewandowski has never won the Ballon d’Or, having been, in the eyes of many, robbed of the prize on two occasions.
In 2020, after a stunning season in which he scored no less than 55 goals in all competitions for Champions League winners Bayern Munich, the award was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The Pole put up equally impressive numbers the following year, scoring 48 goals, but was controversially snubbed in favour of Messi, who had endured a hit-and-miss first season with PSG following his departure from Barcelona.
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ByJack Salveson HolmesNov 1, 2023 6 Neymar 1,148 points
Neymar has twice finished third in the Ballon d’Or, first in 2015 and 2017. Despite never winning it, the Brazilian is still widely regarded as one of the most talented players of his generation.
In spells with Santos, Barcelona, PSG and Al-Hilal, Neymar has 360 goals in 590 games, winning a host of honours, including the Champions League in 2015.
He’s also Brazil’s all-time top scorer, having notched 79 goals in 128 games for his country.
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