The Ballon d'Or, football's most prestigious individual honor, has been awarded to players from twenty different nations since its inception in 1956, recognizing excellence in the sport on the international stage.

The 2026 edition was won by England's Harry Kane after a prolific season with Bayern Munich, making him the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001. A year earlier, France's Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 award after helping Paris Saint-Germain to a treble that included the club's first UEFA Champions League title. Dembélé's win lifted France level with Argentina at the top of the table. Read on to discover all the Ballon d'Or winners by nationality.

List of Winners by Country (including 2026)

Ballon d'Or Winners by Country
Country Winners Different Players Players
Argentina 8 1 Lionel Messi (8)
France 8 6 Michel Platini (3), Raymond Kopa, Zinedine Zidane, Jean-Pierre Papin, Karim Benzema, Ousmane Dembélé
Germany 7 5 Franz Beckenbauer (2), Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (2), Gerd Müller, Lothar Matthäus, Matthias Sammer
Netherlands 7 3 Johan Cruyff (3), Marco van Basten (3), Ruud Gullit
Portugal 7 3 Cristiano Ronaldo (5), Eusebio, Luis Figo
England 6 5 Kevin Keegan (2), Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Stanley Matthews, Michael Owen, Harry Kane
Italy 5 5 Gianni Rivera, Roberto Baggio, Paolo Rossi, Omar Sivori, Fabio Cannavaro
Brazil 5 4 Ronaldo (2), Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Kaka
Spain 4 3 Alfredo Di Stefano (2), Luis Suarez, Rodri
Soviet Union 3 3 Lev Yashin, Oleg Blokhin, Igor Belanov
Czech Republic 1 1 Pavel Nedved
Czechoslovakia 1 1 Josef Masopust
Bulgaria 1 1 Hristo Stoichkov
Croatia 1 1 Luka Modric
Denmark 1 1 Allan Simonsen
Liberia 1 1 George Weah
Northern Ireland 1 1 George Best
Hungary 1 1 Florian Albert
Scotland 1 1 Denis Law
Ukraine 1 1 Andriy Shevchenko

Argentina and France at the Top

Despite the historical bias toward European players due to early eligibility restrictions, Argentina sits joint top of the winners' list, a position owed entirely to one extraordinary individual: Lionel Messi.

The Argentine maestro's record eight Ballon d'Or victories single-handedly place his nation at the summit of this prestigious ranking, though Argentina's tally could arguably be even higher—Alfredo Di Stéfano (1957, 1959) and Omar Sívori (1961), both Argentine-born players, won the award after obtaining Spanish and Italian citizenship respectively.

France drew level with Argentina on eight wins when Ousmane Dembélé won in 2025, but in a very different way: their wins have come from six different players, the most of any nation, from Raymond Kopa in 1958 to Dembélé.

Behind them, three nations have seven wins each: Germany, Netherlands, and Portugal, showcasing the traditional powerhouses of European football. England moved up to six wins with Harry Kane's 2026 award, and now joins Germany and Italy in having produced five different Ballon d'Or recipients.

First Time Winners

Here is a list of the first winners from each country that has produced a Ballon d'Or winner, sorted by years.

First Ballon d'Or Winner by Country
Year Country First Winner
2018 Croatia Luka Modric
2009 Argentina Lionel Messi
2004 Ukraine Andriy Shevchenko
2003 Czech Republic Pavel Nedvěd
1997 Brazil Ronaldo
1995 Liberia George Weah
1994 Bulgaria Hristo Stoichkov
1977 Denmark Allan Simonsen
1971 Netherlands Johan Cruyff
1970 Germany Gerd Müller
1968 Northern Ireland George Best
1967 Hungary Flórián Albert
1965 Portugal Eusébio
1964 Scotland Denis Law
1963 Soviet Union Lev Yashin
1962 Czechoslovakia Josef Masopust
1961 Italy Omar Sívori
1958 France Raymond Kopa
1957 Spain Alfredo Di Stéfano 
1956 England Stanley Matthews

Recent Winners: 2025 and 2026

The 2025 Ballon d'Or went to Ousmane Dembélé, who led Paris Saint-Germain to a historic treble and the club's first UEFA Champions League title. His win was France's eighth, drawing them level with Argentina as the most successful nation in the award's history.

The 2026 Ballon d'Or was won by Harry Kane of Bayern Munich, who finished ahead of Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé. Kane became England's fifth different winner and the first Englishman to lift the trophy since Michael Owen 25 years earlier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has won the most Ballon d'Or awards?

Argentina and France share the record with 8 Ballon d'Or wins each. All of Argentina's wins came from Lionel Messi, while France's have come from six different players. Germany, Netherlands, and Portugal are next with 7 wins each.

How many times has Lionel Messi won the Ballon d'Or?

Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or a record eight times, accounting for all of Argentina's wins in the award's history. His dominance has single-handedly placed Argentina at the top of the nationality rankings.

Why do European countries dominate the Ballon d'Or list?

From 1956 until 1994, only European players were eligible to win the award. Between 1995 and 2006, non-Europeans could win only if they played for European clubs. Since 2007, players from any country are eligible, but the historical restriction gave European nations a significant advantage.

Which countries have produced the most individual Ballon d'Or winners?

France has produced 6 different Ballon d'Or winners, the most of any country, after Ousmane Dembélé won in 2025. England, Germany, and Italy have each produced 5 different winners.

Has any African nation won the Ballon d'Or?

Yes, Liberia's George Weah won the Ballon d'Or in 1995, making him the only African player to win the award. This historic win came just after the eligibility rules changed to include non-European players.

Which was the most recent country to produce its first Ballon d'Or winner?

Croatia became the most recent country to produce its first Ballon d'Or winner when Luka Modric won the award in 2018. This ended a 10-year streak of wins by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.