Ballon d'Or resultsAppearances
in ESM teams
that year
Is award
deserved?
Who was the best that year?
1996Matthias Sammer Borussia Dortmund1
NO
Eric Cantona
Jocelyn Angloma
Laurent Blanc
Paolo Maldini
Philippe Albert
Ronaldo
Vítor Baía
3
1997Ronaldo FC Barcelona
Inter Milan
6
ALMOST
Roberto Carlos7
1998Zinedine Zidane Juventus F.C.4
ALMOST
Roberto Carlos5
1999Rivaldo FC Barcelona6
YES
Rivaldo
Siniša Mihajlović
6
2000Luís Figo FC Barcelona
Real Madrid CF
4
NO
Roberto Carlos8
2001Michael Owen Liverpool F.C.3
YES
Hernán Crespo
Jocelyn Angloma
Michael Owen
Oliver Kahn
Pavel Nedvěd
Raúl
Rio Ferdinand
Sami Hyypiä
Walter Samuel
Zinedine Zidane
3
2002Ronaldo Inter Milan1
NO
Michael Ballack5
2003Pavel Nedvěd Juventus F.C.6
YES
Pavel Nedvěd6
2004Andriy Shevchenko A.C. Milan4
NO
Ronaldinho8
2005Ronaldinho FC Barcelona6
ALMOST
Frank Lampard7
2006Fabio Cannavaro Juventus F.C.1
NO
Ronaldinho5
2007Kaká A.C. Milan4
NO
Cristiano Ronaldo
Sergio Ramos
6
2008Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United F.C.5
YES
Cristiano Ronaldo
Rio Ferdinand
5
2009Lionel Messi FC Barcelona6
YES
Lionel Messi6
2010Lionel Messi FC Barcelona8
YES
Lionel Messi8
2011Lionel Messi FC Barcelona8
YES
Lionel Messi8
2012Lionel Messi FC Barcelona9
YES
Lionel Messi9
2013Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid CF4
NO
Philipp Lahm6
2014Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid CF8
YES
Cristiano Ronaldo8
2015Lionel Messi FC Barcelona5
NO
Luis Suárez7
2016Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid CF2
NO
N'Golo Kanté5
2017Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid CF2
NO
Lionel Messi6
2018Luka Modrić Real Madrid CF1
NO
Lionel Messi8
2019Lionel Messi FC Barcelona8
YES
Lionel Messi
Virgil van Dijk
8
2020not awardedKevin De Bruyne
Robert Lewandowski
5
2021Lionel Messi FC Barcelona3
NO
Robert Lewandowski
Rúben Dias
7
2023to be announced laterErling Haaland4