The Most Outstanding Ballon d'Or Winners of the 21st Century: The Era of Titans and New Names The beginning of the 21st century found the Ballon d'Or already seasoned — the most prestigious individual award in world football has been handed out since 1956. But it was precisely in the new millennium that it gained truly planetary scale. Two decades turned the ceremony into a show and the battle for the trophy into a global event. The list of Ballon d'Or winners since 2000 is not just a list of names but a chronicle of the evolution of football. From the era of Brazilian wizards to the endless rivalry between two geniuses — Messi and Ronaldo — and to the generational shift happening right before our eyes. Ballon d'Or in the 21st Century: Full List of Winners From 2000 to 2025, 19 different footballers received the award (taking into account that the award was not presented in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Here is the full chronological list: 2000 — Luís Figo (Portugal, Real Madrid) 2001 — Michael Owen (England, Liverpool) 2002 — Ronaldo (Brazil, Real Madrid) 2003 — Pavel Nedvěd (Czech Republic, Juventus) 2004 — Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine, Milan) 2005 — Ronaldinho (Brazil, Barcelona) 2006 — Fabio Cannavaro (Italy, Real Madrid) 2007 — Kaka (Brazil, Milan) 2008 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Manchester United) 2009 — Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona) 2010 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 2011 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 2012 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 2013 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) 2014 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) 2015 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 2016 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) 2017 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) 2018 — Luka Modrić (Croatia, Real Madrid) 2019 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 2020 — Not awarded 2021 — Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain) 2022 — Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid) 2023 — Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) 2024 — Rodri (Spain, Manchester City) 2025 — Usman Dembélé (France, Paris Saint-Germain) The Era of Messi and Ronaldo: 13 ... Read more