Get the appLionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or eight times, more than any other player. Cristiano Ronaldo is second with five awards. Only 10 players have won the award more than once. Stanley Matthews received the first Ballon d'Or in 1956, and Johan Cruyff became the first player to win it three times. Ada Hegerberg was the first winner of the women's Ballon d'Or in 2018.
Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or eight times, more than any other player. Cristiano Ronaldo is his closest rival with five wins. The prize was first awarded in 1956 and has gone to many of soccer's greatest players. Pelé and Diego Maradona never won it. The women's Ballon d'Or Feminin began in 2018, and Barcelona players have dominated since, with Aitana Bonmati winning in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Cristiano Ronaldo walked out on the Portugal squad the day before a UEFA Nations League match against Denmark, despite efforts by coach Jorge Jesus and federation president Pedro Proenca to keep him. Ronaldo has accepted any punishment from the national programme, and a suspension is reportedly expected. Before leaving, he reportedly demanded that Jesus read out a statement affirming his relationship with the player and apologising for not bringing him on after a warm-up. Former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney said he was shocked by the demands, saying a player should not tell a manager what to say.