Which positions, clubs and nations have the most Ballon d'Or winners over the years?
Published 23/07/2025 at 16:20 GMT+1
After another sensational season in world football, some fans may be wondering which positions, clubs, and nations have the most Ballon d'Or winners. The race for this year's prize has been closely fought, with Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal, and Mohamed Salah all in the running to win it. Paris Saint-Germain have several contenders in the race after winning the UEFA Champions League.
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The Ballon d'Or will be up for grabs once again in September as a new generation of stars look to claim the most coveted individual honour in world football.
Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal and Mohamed Salah are all in the running to win this year’s award after a sensational 2024/2025 season.
Whoever takes the prize will join an elite list of footballing greats that stretches all the way back to Sir Stanley Matthews in 1956.
The history of the Ballon d'Or is long and illustrious, and some fans may be wondering which positions, clubs, and nations have produced the most winners.
Which clubs have the most Ballon d'Or winners?
Paris Saint-Germain have several contenders in the race for the 2025 Ballon d'Or after they were victorious in the UEFA Champions League.
However, they only have one Ballon d'Or winner in their history: Lionel Messi in 2021.
Unsurprisingly, the club with the most Ballon d'Or winners is Real Madrid.
Eight different stars have won the award while representing the Spanish giants, and Los Blancos players have claimed it 12 times in total.
Madrid players dominated the award in its early years, with Alfredo Di Stefano winning it twice, either side of a Raymond Kopa triumph in 1958.
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Luis Figo won it with Madrid in 2000, just a matter of months after his controversial transfer from bitter rivals Barcelona.
Two years later, the original Ronaldo brought the Ballon d'Or back to the Bernabeu.
Madrid star Fabio Cannavaro finished top of the rankings in 2006, before Cristiano Ronaldo came to the party.
Ronaldo won it four times during his spell in Spain, and the season after he moved to Juventus, his former teammate Luka Modric came out on top.
The last Madrid player to win the award while at the club was French striker Karim Benzema in 2022.
Six players have won the Ballon d'Or a total of 12 times while playing for Barcelona, leaving them in second place.
Juventus and AC Milan also have six winners to their name, but players from the two Serie A sides have only claimed it eight times in total.
The English team with the most winners is Manchester United, with four.
| Clubs | Winners | Total Wins |
| Real Madrid | 8 | 12 |
| Barcelona | 6 | 12 |
| Juventus | 6 | 8 |
| AC Milan | 6 | 8 |
| Manchester United | 4 | 4 |
Which nations have the most Ballon d'Or winners?
If we were measuring it by total wins, Argentina would be top of the pile with eight.
However, they have only ever produced one Ballon d'Or winner in the form of Messi.
France and Germany are top in terms of individual players who have won the award, with five each. They also both have seven wins in total.
Franz Beckenbauer and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge won the award twice for Germany, while Michel Platini claimed it three times for France.
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Italy have also produced five Ballon d'Or winners, but they have only finished top of the rankings five times in total.
England and Brazil both have four individual winners and five victories in total.
The Netherlands and Portugal also deserve a mention after accumulating seven wins in total despite having produced just three individual winners.
| Nation | Winners | Wins |
| France | 5 | 7 |
| Germany | 5 | 7 |
| Italy | 5 | 5 |
| Brazil | 4 | 5 |
| England | 4 | 5 |
Which positions have the most Ballon d'Or winners?
When it comes to positions, the results are somewhat predictable.
Forwards have won the award 49 times in total, leading the way for some to believe that the prize should only be given to players with real X Factor.
Rodri has proven the doubters wrong with his performances for Manchester City since arriving at The Etihad, and he was rewarded with the trophy in 2024.
However, midfielders have had to settle for second overall with 15 wins.
Defenders have won it three times, but spare a thought for the goalkeepers, who have only one win to their name, Dynamo Moscow's Lev Yashin in 1963.
| Position | Wins |
| Forwards | 49 |
| Midfielders | 15 |
| Defenders | 3 |
| Goalkeepers | 1 |
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