Which countries and players have won the most Ballon d’Or awards?

With little than a week until the winners of the Ballon d’Or awards are announced, speculation is increasing implicit who volition assertion this year’s coveted prize successful the star-studded men’s category.

While seasoned stars similar Harry Kane, record-breaking victor Lionel Messi and teen endowment Lamine Yamal are favourites, the grant has been notoriously unpredictable.

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Organisers accidental the trophy is awarded based connected 3 criteria, successful bid of importance:

• Individual performances, decisive and awesome character
• Collective performances and titles won
• Class and just play

Shortlisted candidates volition beryllium judged for their performances betwixt August 3, 2025 and July 19, 2026 – the time of this year’s World Cup final.

The 30-player shortlist features 3 erstwhile winners: eight-time victor and Argentinian icon Messi, holder Ousmane Dembele of France, and 2024 victor and Spanish midfielder Rodri.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look astatine which countries person won the astir Ballon d’Or awards since the men’s prize was created successful 1956:

Argentina — 8

All of Argentina’s Ballon d’Or trophies person been won by 1 of the all-time shot greats, Messi, who announced his status from planetary shot successful August aft starring his state to decorativeness runners-up astatine the World Cup and winning the Major League Soccer rubric with Inter Miami.

The 39-year-old has clinched the grant a grounds 8 times: 2009-2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.

Argentinian planetary Lionel Messi wins the Ballon d’Or 2023 during the ceremonial astatine the Theatre du Chatelet successful Paris, France, October 30, 2023 [Mohammed Badra/EPA]

France — 8

Last year’s winner, Dembele, took France’s tally to a grounds 8 awards, won by six men spanning respective generations.

Several teammates, who helped pb France to 4th spot astatine the World Cup, articulation him connected the shortlist: Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano.

Previous French winners include:

• Raymond Kopa (1958)
• Michel Platini (1983, 1984, 1985)
• Jean-Pierre Papin (1991)
• Zinedine Zidane (1998)
• Karim Benzema (2022)
• Ousmane Dembele (2025)

Paris St Germain’s Ousmane Dembele celebrates aft winning the 2025 men’s Ballon d’Or grant [Benoit Tessier/Reuters]

Portugal — 7

Portugal’s 7 awards are courtesy of conscionable 3 men; Eusebio (1965), Luis Figo (2000), and five-time victor Cristiano Ronaldo, who, on with Messi, has dominated the awards for the past 2 decades (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017).

Unlike Messi, however, Ronaldo has been excluded from the shortlist for a 4th consecutive year. Other teammates who could springiness Portugal an eighth triumph are Bruno Fernandes, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves and Vitinha.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United receives the Ballon d’or aft being voted the European Footballer of the Year earlier the UEFA Champions League Group E lucifer betwixt Manchester United and Aalborg astatine Old Trafford connected December 10, 2008 successful Manchester, England [Alex Livesey/Getty Images]

Germany — 7

Germany past saw a Ballon d’Or victor successful 1996 courtesy of Matthias Sammer, but enjoyed occurrence successful years prior. No German subordinate has made the shortlist this year.

Previous winners are:

• Gerd Muller (1970)
• Franz Beckenbauer (1972, 1976)
• Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (1980, 1981)
• Lothar Matthäus (1990)
• Matthias Sammer (1996)

Netherlands — 7

Similar to Germany, the Netherlands past saw Ballon d’Or occurrence successful the 1990s and does not person immoderate players shortlisted for the men’s award.

The country’s 7 prizes person travel courtesy of 3 Dutchmen:

• Johan Cruyff (1971, 1973, 1974)
• Ruud Gullit (1987)
• Marco van Basten (1988, 1989, 1992)

Brazil — 5

Football icon Ronaldo won Brazil’s archetypal Ballon d’Or successful 1997, aft which the state saw 4 much victories.

• Ronaldo (1997, 2002)
• Rivaldo (1999)
• Ronaldinho (2005)
• Kaka (2007)

Players connected the 2026 shortlist who could springiness Brazil its archetypal Ballon d’Or successful 2 decades see Gabriel, Marquinhos, and Vinicius Jr.

England — 5

As the grant ceremonial returns to England, truthful excessively bash hopes for a Ballon d’Or trophy aft Stanley Matthews won the inaugural accolade successful 1956.

High hopes remainder connected English skipper Kane, who has had 1 of his champion seasons, scoring 73 goals for nine and state and winning the Bundesliga rubric with Bayern Munich. Kane besides led England to a third-place decorativeness astatine the World Cup.

He is joined by Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham connected the shortlist. Here are England’s erstwhile winners:

• Stanley Matthews (1956)
• Bobby Charlton (1966)
• Kevin Keegan (1978, 1979)
• Michael Owen (2001)

Bayern Munich’s English guardant Harry Kane (R) celebrates the 2-2 extremity with teammates during the UEFA Champions League shot lucifer betwixt Viking FK and FC Bayern Munich successful Stavanger, Norway connected October 13, 2026. [Lise Aserud/AFP]

Italy — 5

Italy’s 5 Ballons d’Or person travel from 5 antithetic players and nary successful the past 2 decades:

• Omar Sivori (1961)
• Gianni Rivera (1969)
• Paolo Rossi (1982)
• Roberto Baggio (1993)
• Fabio Cannavaro (2006)

Spain — 4

Spain scooped up a fistful of Ballon d’Or awards past twelvemonth and looks poised to repetition its triumph this twelvemonth pursuing its World Cup victory.

Yamal, victor of past year’s Kopa Trophy, is joined by teammates Pau Cubarsi (Best Young Player grant astatine the World Cup), Marc Cucurella, Rodri (Golden Ball grant astatine the World Cup), Fabian Ruiz, and Ferran Torres.

Previous winners for Spain:

• Alfredo Di Stefano (1957, 1959)
• Luis Suarez (1960)
• Rodri (2024)

Rodri of Manchester United holds up his Ballon d’Or grant anterior to the Premier League lucifer betwixt Manchester City FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC astatine Etihad Stadium connected November 23, 2024 successful Manchester, England [Naomi Baker/Getty Images]