Since the turn of the century, Barcelona’s tally of Ballon d’Or winners has grown to six different men’s awards, with Leo Messi’s brilliance ensuring the Catalan club’s player was voted the world’s best on 12 occasions.
That’s the same record as Real Madrid, with the two LaLiga powerhouses being the dominant forces when it comes to this award in recent years.
1960 was the first year a Barcelona player won the men’s Ballon d’Or. Since then, there have been blaugrana recipients in every decade, except for the 1980s and so far in the 2020s.
With Barca currently under Hansi Flick, that could potentially change in 2025. Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski are among the early favorites, according to sportsbooks featured by Gamble USA, to win next year’s big prize.
Barcelona also dominates the race for the Women’s Ballon d’Or. So far this prize has only been distributed six times, but there are Barca players who have won it four times.
Barcelona Ballon d’Or winner
| Player | The year of the Ballon d’Or win |
| Luis Suarez | 1960 |
| Johan Cruyff | 1973, 1974 |
| Hristo Stoichkov | 1994 |
| Rivaldo | 1999 |
| Ronaldinho | 2005 |
| Leo Messi | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 |
Luis Suarez (1960)
Barcelona player Luis Suarez is a former Ballon d’Or winner, although perhaps not who you think.
Born in A Coruña in 1935, Spaniard Luis Suarez was one of the greatest players of his time, shining for Barcelona for six years, before eventually moving to Italy to play for Inter Milan and Sampdoria.
Suarez won the Ballon d’Or in 1960 towards the end of his LaLiga career. Perhaps his most important contribution that year was his two goals for Barca in a 2-2 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of the European Cup between the two great Spanish teams. The Catalans went on to win the match 4–3, ending Real Madrid’s five-year winning streak in the competition.
Although Barcelona ultimately lost in the final to Benfica in Suarez’s final game at the club, the Galician was the first Spanish-born player to win the men’s Ballon d’Or, and surprisingly the only player to emulate Rodri’s recent success .
Johan Cruyff (1973, 1974)
Although Suarez is currently little known outside of Spain, Barca’s next Ballon d’Or winner is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time.
Johan Cruyff had won the award in 1971 as an Ajax player and had helped inspire the Dutch club to a third consecutive European Cup in 1973, he moved to Barcelona that summer and began a lifelong association with the club.
Cruyff was already a Barca player when the 1973 Ballon d’Or was awarded, although it was actually his efforts for Ajax that sealed the win.
In his first season at Barca, Cruyff helped inspire the Catalans to their first league title in 14 years. He was also one of the decisive figures at the 1974 World Cup as the Netherlands reached the final where they were beaten by West Germany, so it was no surprise that he also won the Ballon d’Or that year.
Hristo Stoichkov (1994)
20 years later, Cruyff is now entering his most successful spell as Barcelona coach and he has one of the most devastating attacking forces in the business alongside Brazilian legend Romario, partnering the iconic Hristo Stoichkov up front.
Stoichkov narrowly missed out on the Ballon d’Or in 1992, the year of Barcelona’s first European Cup, with Marco van Basten the only player to finish ahead of him in that year’s voting.
The striker scored 16 goals as Barca won LaLiga again in the 1993/94 season, but it was Stoichkov’s skill that took Bulgaria to the 1994 World Cup semi-finals, scoring six goals in the competition to share the Golden Boot with Russia. Oleg Salenko, who ensured his success in winning the Ballon d’Or in 1994.
Rivaldo (1999)
Five years later, Rivaldo became Barcelona’s first recipient in South America, with the Brazilian winger winning the vote ahead of Andriy Shevchenko and David Beckham.
Rivaldo had been the driving force behind Barca’s league title win in 1998/99, scoring 24 goals to finish second behind Raul in that season’s Pichichi race.
Brazil were also Copa America winners in 1999, with Rivaldo scoring five goals, including two in the 3–0 final win over Uruguay, and his ability to light up the football pitch with his effortless style and flair, ensured Rivaldo became Barca’s fourth winner. player to receive the Ballon d’Or.
Ronaldinho (2005)
In the mid-2000s, there was another Brazilian player who became the center of attention as the world’s best player. Although Ronaldinho’s peak was shorter than some other modern greats, Barcelona got the best out of him.
Ronaldinho was the main reason why Frank Rijkaard’s side ended their six-year wait for a major trophy by winning LaLiga 2004/05, although the Brazilian was arguably even better the following season when the Catalans managed to defend their Spanish title and also win the Champions League. .
However, it was in 2005, not 2006, that he was awarded the Ballon d’Or, and became the third Brazilian to receive the award after Ronaldo and Rivaldo.
Leo Messi (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019)
LaLiga and the Ballon d’Or awards are heading into a new era with the consistent brilliance of Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo that lasted from the late 2000s until well into the 2010s.
During Barca’s golden years under Pep Guardiola, Messi won the award in four consecutive years, surpassing Cruyff, Van Basten and Michel Platini who had each won the award a combined three times previously.
Champions League glory and 58 goals in club football during the 2014/15 season helped ensure Messi earned the award again, while he was voted world player of the year for the sixth time as a Barca player in 2019.
Since leaving Barcelona in the summer of 2021, Messi has extended his record to a total of eight Ballon d’Or wins.
Feminine Barcelona Ballon d’Or winner
| Player | The year of the Ballon d’Or win |
| Alexia Putellas | 2021, 2022 |
| Aitana Bonmati | 2023, 2024 |
The women’s version of the award is still in its infancy, having only been awarded for the first time in 2018. Since 2021, it has been a story of Barcelona dominance, with the Catalan club’s all-conquering women’s team unrivaled in domestic and European competitions. stage in recent years.
Alexia Putellas was an outstanding women’s player at the start of the decade, scoring 60 goals in all competitions for Barca throughout the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons. She was instrumental in the Catalan team winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the first time and was the recipient of two Ballons d’Or.
Putellas has had injury problems in recent years, with his Barca teammate Aitana Bonmati emerging as the dominant midfielder in world football. Over the past few years, Bonmati have won it all, securing two more Champions League titles at club level.
Spain’s victory at the 2023 World Cup ensured he was the obvious choice for that year’s Ballon d’Or. She recently successfully defended her crown, making it a four-year winning streak for Barca players when it comes to the biggest individual prizes in the women’s game.
Which current Barca players could be contenders for the Ballon d’Or?
At just 17 years old, Lamine Yamal is already operating at a level that puts him in the Ballon d’Or conversation and it looks like the young winger will win the award one day.
If Barcelona can build on their good start in LaLiga 2024/25 and go on to win titles, while reaching the latter stages of the Champions League, they may have a number of players competing for the 2025 honors. Lewandowski is perhaps the most obvious candidate as the Polish striker scores goals with an average of just over a goal per game so far this season.
Players like Pedri, Pau Cubarsi and Gavi also clearly have bright futures, even though they are not yet considered Ballon d’Or candidates.
In terms of the Feminine Ballon d’Or, Bonmati could be on the way out again in 2025, while her club and international teammate Salma Paralluelo could be a contender after back-to-back third-place finishes. However, events at UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 could determine the winner.
Sports News
website focused on news and information about the world of football. This is one of the popular websites in Indonesia accessed by sports fans, especially football enthusiasts, to get quick and reliable information.
