With the winner of the first ever Fifa Ballon d'Or set to be handed out on Monday, Goal.com takes a look at the past winners of the Ballon d'Or and the Fifa World Player of the Year, the two predecessors of the newly installed individual trophy.
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The Ballon d'Or was first handed out by French football magazine France Football in 1956, with the legendary Stanley Matthews scooping up the prestigious trophy. Other big names who won the individual award in its early years are Alfredo Di Stefano, Raymond Kopa, Eusebio, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer and Michel Platini.
In 1991, Fifa then decided to call the Fifa Player of the Year award into life. This led to some remarkable differences as to the winners of the two trophies.
For example, in 1996 France Football awarded the Ballon d'Or to German holding midfielder Matthias Sammer, while Fifa wasn't too impressed with the Euro 1996 winner and picked Brazilian striker Ronaldo instead.
However, on most occasions the winner of the Ballon d'Or was the same as the winner of the Fifa Player of the Year trophy. Players such as Lionel Messi, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and George Weah all lifted both awards in the same year.
Fifa and France Football therefore opted to cooperate and hand out one award instead to make it clear for once and for all who has been the best player of the year.
MORE...
The Ballon d'Or was first handed out by French football magazine France Football in 1956, with the legendary Stanley Matthews scooping up the prestigious trophy. Other big names who won the individual award in its early years are Alfredo Di Stefano, Raymond Kopa, Eusebio, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer and Michel Platini.
| Year | Ballon d'Or | Fifa World Player of the Year |
| 1956 | Stanley Matthews | |
| 1957 | Alfredo Di Stefano | |
| 1958 | Raymond Kopa | |
| 1959 | Alfredo Di Stefano | |
| 1960 | Luis Suarez | |
| 1961 | Omar Sivori | |
| 1962 | Josef Masopust | |
| 1963 | Lev Yashin | |
| 1964 | Denis Law | |
| 1965 | Eusebio | |
| 1966 | Bobby Charlton | |
| 1967 | Florian Albert | |
| 1968 | George Best | |
| 1969 | Gianni Rivera | |
| 1970 | Gerd Mueller | |
| 1971 | Johan Cruyff | |
| 1972 | Franz Beckenbauer | |
| 1973 | Johan Cruyff | |
| 1974 | Johan Cruyff | |
| 1975 | Oleg Blokhin | |
| 1976 | Franz Beckenbauer | |
| 1977 | Allan Simonsen | |
| 1978 | Kevin Keegan | |
| 1979 | Kevin Keegan | |
| 1980 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | |
| 1981 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | |
| 1982 | Paolo Rossi | |
| 1983 | Michel Platini | |
| 1984 | Michel Platini | |
| 1985 | Michel Platini | |
| 1986 | Igor Belanov | |
| 1987 | Ruud Gullit | |
| 1988 | Marco van Basten | |
| 1989 | Marco van Basten | |
| 1990 | Lothar Matthaeus | |
| 1991 | Jean-Pierre Papin | Lothar Matthaeus |
| 1992 | Marco van Basten | Marco van Basten |
| 1993 | Roberto Baggio | Roberto Baggio |
| 1994 | Hristo Stoichkov | Romario |
| 1995 | George Weah | George Weah |
| 1996 | Matthias Sammer | Ronaldo |
| 1997 | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| 1998 | Zinedine Zidane | Zinedine Zidane |
| 1999 | Rivaldo | Rivaldo |
| 2000 | Luis Figo | Zinedine Zidane |
| 2001 | Michael Owen | Luis Figo |
| 2002 | Ronaldo | Ronaldo |
| 2003 | Pavel Nedved | Zinedine Zidane |
| 2004 | Andriy Shevchenko | Ronaldinho |
| 2005 | Ronaldinho | Ronaldinho |
| 2006 | Fabio Cannavaro | Fabio Cannavaro |
| 2007 | Kaka | Kaka |
| 2008 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| 2009 | Lionel Messi | Lionel Messi |
In 1991, Fifa then decided to call the Fifa Player of the Year award into life. This led to some remarkable differences as to the winners of the two trophies.
For example, in 1996 France Football awarded the Ballon d'Or to German holding midfielder Matthias Sammer, while Fifa wasn't too impressed with the Euro 1996 winner and picked Brazilian striker Ronaldo instead.
However, on most occasions the winner of the Ballon d'Or was the same as the winner of the Fifa Player of the Year trophy. Players such as Lionel Messi, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and George Weah all lifted both awards in the same year.
Fifa and France Football therefore opted to cooperate and hand out one award instead to make it clear for once and for all who has been the best player of the year.