FIFA Ballon d'Or Award

The FIFA Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious individual award in world football. It's awarded each year to the world's best male footballer, with the votes coming from national team captains and coaches, as well as a select number of international media representatives.

The FIFA Ballon d'Or award has only been handed out since 2010 but has a much longer history as it's actually been merged from two older awards - the Ballon d'Or (started by France Football magazine back in 1956) and the men's FIFA World Player of the Year award, which ran from 1991 to 2009.

And for those not up to speed on their French, Ballon d'Or translates as Golden Ball.


FIFA Ballon d'Or Winners

All of the winners of FIFA's Ballon d'Or award since 2010...

Year Winner Second Third
2010 Lionel Messi (Argentina) Andres Iniesta (Spain) Xavi Hernandez (Spain)
2011 Lionel Messi (Argentina) Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) Xavi Hernandez (Spain)
2012 Lionel Messi (Argentina) Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) Andres Iniesta (Spain)
2013 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) Lionel Messi (Argentina) Franck Ribery (France)
2014 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) Lionel Messi (Argentina) Manuel Neuer (Germany)
2015 Lionel Messi (Argentina) Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) Neymar (Brazil)
2016 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) Lionel Messi (Argentina) Antoine Griezmann (France)