how many ballon d’or does messi have

Lionel Messi ( has won a record 8 Ballon d’Or awards. This is three more than any other player in football history, ahead of five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

Breakdown of Messi’s Wins

Year Club(s) at Time of Award Key Highlight

2009 FC Barcelona Won a historic continental treble with Barcelona.

2010 FC Barcelona Won the inaugural merged FIFA Ballon d’Or following a dominant domestic season.

2011 FC Barcelona Led Barcelona to La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles.

2012 FC Barcelona Became the first player to win four in a row after scoring 91 goals in a calendar year.

2015 FC Barcelona Secured a second continental treble with Barcelona.

2019 FC Barcelona Claimed his sixth trophy after winning La Liga and the European Golden Shoe.

2021 FC Barcelona / Paris Saint-Germain Won after captaining Argentina to the 2021 Copa América title.

2023 Paris Saint-Germain / Inter Miami CF Earned his eighth award after leading Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Notable Ballon d’Or Records

• Unique Club Reach. Messi is the only player in history to win the award while representing three different clubs and the only recipient to win while playing outside of Europe.
• Total Nominations. Across his career, Messi has been nominated for the award 17 times, finishing in the top three on a record 14 occasions. You can view the full history of winners on the official Ballon d’Or Winners List.