Lionel Messi’s Ballon d’Or Count: When Did He Win His First Ballon d’Or?
As Lionel Messi has become one of the greatest footballers of all time, he has several accolades under his name arguably the biggest one being the Ballon d’Or. The prestigious Ballon d’Or is considered to be one of the most decorated awards in football as all the footballers contest for the prize awarded by France football in an annual gala event.
Being the most important footballing award, it carries a long history with itself and has been a reward that makes a player top tier. As for Leo Messi, he is the most successful player in Ballon d’Or’s history with a total of eight title wins over the years. Messi has been a beast on the field and has proven to be worthy of the award on different occasions and also holds the record for most consecutive Ballon d’Or wins for any player in the sport’s history.
What is the Ballon d’Or?
In football, the Ballon d’Or is a prestigious annual trophy or award given to the best Male and Female footballers in the world for their terrific and impressive performances each year. It is officially presented by France Football, and the ceremony takes place in Paris at Théâtre du Châtelet.
The criteria for awarding the prestigious award is based on three main factors which include the individual performances of a player and how decisive and impressive persona he/she has shown on the field, the team performances of the player along with the achievements they made during the season and class and fair play of the player throughout the year decides the winner of the award. While many have called it a popularity contest, the award has been given to a player who thrives in all the factors mentioned above.
List of Ballon d’Or Wins by Messi
Lionel Messi has the most successful relationship with the Ballon d’Or award among all the winners as he has been awarded the prestigious prize a record eight times. These awards are spread out over three different decades for the ex-Barcelona star. Given his impressive playmaking skills and magical runs forward, there was never an issue with awarding Leo Messi with all the awards.
| Year | Age | Reason Of Winning |
| 2009 | 22 | Won the 2008/09 La Liga, Copa del Rey, 2009 Supercopa de Espana, 2008/09 Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, 2009 FIFA Club World Cup |
| 2010 | 23 | Won the 2009/10 La Liga, 2010 Supercopa de Espana |
| 2011 | 24 | 2010/11 La Liga, 2011 Supercopa de Espana, 2010/11 Champions League, 2011 UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup |
| 2012 | 25 | Scored record 91 goals in 2012, won 2011/12 Copa del Rey |
| 2015 | 28 | Won the 2014/15 La Liga, 2014/15 Copa del Rey, 2014/15 Champions League, 2015 UEFA Super Cup, 2015 FIFA Club World Cup |
| 2019 | 32 | Won the 2018/19 La Liga |
| 2021 | 34 | Won the 2020/21 Copa del Rey |
| 2023 | 36 | Won the 2022 FIFA World Cup, 2022 Trophee des Champions, 2022/23 Ligue 1, 2022 FIFA World Cup |
Who has More Ballon d’Or Awards: Messi or Ronaldo?
The rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi has always been in the headlines and has been the biggest footballing debate for over two decades. As both the legends are way past their prime, both have excelled in terms of winning the Ballon d’Or in all these years. Among the two greats, Lionel Messi has bagged more awards than Ronaldo with a record eight Ballon d’Or awards under his name. On the other hand, the ex-Real Madrid star has won the Ballon d’Or five times in his illustrious career including 2008, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
While Messi holds the record for winning the title most times, Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for most nominations in the ceremony with a record 18 Ballon d’Or nominations under his name so far. His Ballon d’Or wins have been nothing short of phenomenal starting with 2008 along with Manchester United where he won the 2007/08 Premier League and the 2007/08 Champions League. In his 2014 triumphant win, he scored 69 goals for Portugal and Real Madrid and also won the International Champions Cup with Real Madrid. As he won the award three times ahead, it was followed by his huge wins in La Liga, the Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
As their rivalry has always been a topic of debate among every football fan, it is surreal to witness how both of them have ruled the landscape of football for several years and continue to cement their legacy as two of the ultimate bests in the sport’s history.
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Players with the Most Ballon d’Or Awards
| Rank | Player | Ballon d’Or Wins | Year |
| 1 | Lionel Messi | 8 | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023 |
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 5 | 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 |
| 3 | Michel Platini | 3 | 1983, 1984, 1985 |
| 4 | Johan Cruyff | 3 | 1971, 1973, 1974 |
| 5 | Marco Van Basten | 3 | 1988, 1989, 1992 |
| 6 | Franz Beckenbauer | 2 | 1972, 1976 |
| 7 | Ronaldo | 2 | 1997, 2002 |
| 8 | Alfredo Di Stéfano | 2 | 1957, 1959 |
| 9 | Kevin Keegan | 2 | 1978, 1979 |
| 10 | Karl- Heinz Rummenigge | 2 | 1980, 1981 |
FAQs
How many Ballon d’Ors does Messi have?
As of 2025, Lionel Messi has won a record eight Ballon d’Ors so far.
Did Messi win a Ballon d’Or after the World Cup?
Yes, Lionel Messi did win a Ballon d’Or in 2023 after his excellent 2022 FIFA World Cup win.
Is the Ballon d’Or based on votes?
Yes, 100 journalists from FIFA’s member nations are elected and given voting rights for the award.
Who has won the 2024 Ballon d’Or?
The 2024 Ballon d’Or award was won by Spanish midfielder Rodri.
Who are the top 3 Ballon d’Or 2024?
The top 3 for the Ballon d’Or consisted of winner Rodri followed by Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham in second and third position respectively.
Who is the only person with a Super Ballon d’Or?
The only player to win the Super Ballon d’Or was Alfredo Di Stéfano in 1989.