Who has won the Ballon d'Or most often? Which other players have multiple Ballons d'Or?

Football fans remain in constant debate about who the greatest player of all time is, and one metric that is frequently used to compare the brightest stars in the history of the game is their pedigree when it comes to the prestigious Ballon d'Or.

In that regard, Argentina's Lionel Messi has secured the award far more than anybody else, taking home the trophy a staggering eight times for his exploits with Barcelona and his national team.

His closest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, has won five Ballons d'Or - three fewer than Messi - and his most recent triumph came back in 2017, but given that the duo are now plying their trade away from the top five divisions in the Saudi Pro League and the United States' Major League Soccer, they are unlikely to bolster their numbers any further.

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior was assumed to be the favourite for the 2024 prize, but he was sidestepped in favour of Manchester City's Rodri, who was undoubtedly the best defensive midfielder in the world at the time.

However, Vinicius and Los Blancos more broadly felt disrespected by the Ballon d'Or's organisers due to what they felt was a snub, sparking widespread discontent in the media from Madrid names past and present.

In any case, the midfield stalwart became the first Spanish player to win the men's award since 1960, while he was the first Premier League player to secure the trophy since Ronaldo in 2008.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at which players have won the Ballon d'Or most often, and which have won it multiple times ahead of Monday's 2025 ceremony.

How many Ballons d'Or does Messi have?

Messi is the most successful player in terms of the Ballon d'Or, having won the trophy eight times; the Argentine's first success came in 2009, while he also secured the award in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.

The forward's success with Argentina at the 2022 World Cup played a leading role in him winning the 2023 trophy, holding off competition from a certain Erling Haaland.

Inter Miami's Messi became the first MLS-based player to claim the prize, and he was outstanding in his country's 2022 World Cup triumph, scoring seven goals and registering three assists, including two goals in the final against France.

Messi's first six Ballon d'Or trophies came during his time at Barcelona, and he will forever be remembered as one of the best players in the history of football, while his record of eight triumphs in the Ballon d'Or might never be beaten.

Who else has won multiple Ballons d'Or?

Ronaldo, as mentioned, is second in the all-time list, having lifted the famous trophy on five occasions, with his first success coming in 2008, while he also triumphed in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

The Portugal legend was second on a further six occasions, while Messi has been second five times, with the two all-time superstars absolutely dominating the award in recent history due to their stunning performances.

Three players have won three Ballons d'Or, meanwhile, with Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten recognised for their incredible efforts, while Franz Beckenbauer, Ronaldo, Alfredo Di Stefano, Kevin Keegan and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge have won it twice.

Keegan's successes came in 1978 and 1979, making him the most successful English player in the competition, while Sir Bobby Charlton (1966), George Best (1968), Denis Law (1964) and Stanley Matthews (1956) also triumphed; Michael Owen is another British player to have won the award, claiming the trophy in 2001.