Ballon d'Or winners: Football Club/Player with Most Ballon d’Or, Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?

The Ballon d’Or, the most coveted individual award in men’s football, has been dominated by the rivalry of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the modern era. These two greats from Argentina and Portugal have won a staggering 14 of the 16 awards since 2008, marking a thrilling duopoly of major team and player honours over the past two decades.

However, the incredible performances of Messi, Ronaldo, and other winners are only one part of their Ballon d’Or success. The impressive teams they played for provided the platform for these star players to shine brightly.

Major clubs from across Europe have produced Ballon d’Or winners since its first edition in 1956. When we say “produced”, we mean the team for whom the winner of the award was playing in the year of his triumph, not necessarily the club at which they came through the youth system or made their senior debut.

With Messi and Ronaldo racking up multiple award wins during their careers, and their peak years spent in Spain, Barcelona and Real Madrid unsurprisingly lead the pack with the most Ballon d’Or wins. The Clasico pair have produced 12 award wins each, with eight different players scooping the trophy at Real Madrid, and six at Barcelona.

Ronaldo won four of his five awards at Real Madrid (he was at Manchester United for his first), and Messi won six of his seven at Barcelona1. He played for Paris Saint-Germain during his last win in 2021.

Other clubs such as Juventus, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Dynamo Kyiv, and Inter Milan have also had players who clinched the award at some point.

The Ballon d’Or is more than just an individual accolade. It enhances the reputation of the team that possesses the player and can significantly increase a team’s value. Having a Ballon d’Or winner can serve as an enticing appeal to young players considering signing with a club.

As we continue to watch and appreciate the beautiful game of football, let’s not forget to acknowledge the incredible teams behind these successful players. After all, football is a team sport, and every individual success is a testament to teamwork.

Club	Wins	Players
Real Madrid	12	8
Barcelona	12	6
Juventus	8	6
AC Milan	8	6
Bayern Munich	5	3
Manchester United	4	4
Dynamo Kyiv	2	2
Inter Milan	2	2

Players with most Ballon d'Or wins

Rank	Player	Ballon d'Or wins	Years won
1.	Lionel Messi	7	2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023
2.	Cristiano Ronaldo	5	2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
3.	Michel Platini	3	1983, 1984, 1985
	Johan Cruyff	3	1971, 1973, 1974
	Marco van Basten	3	1988, 1989, 1992
6.	Franz Beckenbauer	2	1972, 1976
	Ronaldo	2	1997, 2002
	Alfredo Di Stefano	2	1957, 1959
	Kevin Keegan	2	1978, 1979
	Karl-Heinz Rummenigge	2	1980, 1981