Which player has stood on the podium at the Ballon d’Or the most times?

The kings of the podium

The ‘Ballon d’Or’ ceremony has been selecting the world’s best footballer since 1956. Over the course of nearly seven decades, many star players have lifted the trophy – but others have come very close and had to settle for second or third place.

After all, the podium tells a story of its own. Just as in the Olympics, we can think of the top three finishers as gold, silver and bronze medallists – at least in a symbolic sense.

Since the first edition in 1956, there have been 69 ‘Ballon d’Or’ ceremonies. In total, 47 different players have won the award, whilst 122 players have finished in the top three.

But who has made it onto the podium the most times?

To find out, we analysed the top three finishers from every edition of the ‘Ballon d’Or’.

1st place: Lionel Messi – 14 times on the podium

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi tops the list, having appeared on the podium 14 times at the ‘Ballon d’Or’.

The Argentine star, who won the 2022 World Cup with the Albiceleste, is also the most successful winner in the award’s history, with eight trophies.

Messi first appeared on the podium in 2007, aged 20, when he finished in third place. From then on, he embarked on an impressive run: he finished in the top three for 11 consecutive years, from 2007 to 2017.

His last time on the podium was in 2023, the very year he won his eighth ‘Ballon d’Or’.

In total, there were 16 years between Messi’s first and last appearances on the podium, from 2007 to 2023. It is the longest gap in the award’s history and further proof of the incredible longevity of his career.

2nd place: Cristiano Ronaldo – 12 times on the podium

Cristiano Ronaldo is a close second, having appeared on the Ballon d’Or podium 12 times.

The Portuguese star, who helped Portugal win their first major international title at Euro 2016, is also the second-most successful winner of the ‘Ballon d’Or’, with five trophies.

Ronaldo first appeared on the podium in 2007, finishing in second place. A year later, aged 23, he won the first Ballon d’Or of his career.

Between 2013 and 2019, the Portuguese player finished in the top three at seven consecutive ceremonies, demonstrating how he remained among the leading contenders for the award for so many years.

Since then, however, Ronaldo has not appeared on the podium again.

3rd place: Franz Beckenbauer and Michel Platini – 5 times on the podium

Franz Beckenbauer of Germany and Michel Platini of France share third place, having each appeared on the ‘Ballon d’Or’ podium five times.

Beckenbauer made it into the top three for the first time in 1966, when he finished third. He did not return to the podium until six years later, in 1972 – and on that occasion, he won the award.

From then on, the German featured on the podium for three consecutive years, including his second victory in 1976. That was also his last time in the top three, ten years after his podium debut.

Platini, for his part, made his first appearance in 1977, also finishing third. Three years later, in 1980, he returned to the podium and once again finished in third place.

After that, it took another three years for Platini to return to the podium. And once he did, he never left the top spot: the Frenchman won the ‘Ballon d’Or’ three years in a row, in 1983, 1984 and 1985. The last of these victories also marked his farewell to the podium.

Players who have appeared on the Ballon d’Or podium more than once:

1. Lionel Messi – 14 times on the podium

2. Cristiano Ronaldo – 12 times on the podium

3. Franz Beckenbauer / Michel Platini – 5 times on the podium

4. Raymond Kopa / Luis Suárez / Gerd Müller / Johan Cruyff / Ronaldo Nazário – 4 times on the podium

5. Alfredo Di Stéfano / Eusébio / Bobby Charlton / Kevin Keegan / Karl-Heinz Rummenigge / Bernd Schuster / Marco van Basten / Zinedine Zidane / Andriy Shevchenko / Xavi – 3 times on the podium

6. Gianni Rivera / George Best / Gigi Riva / Rob Rensenbrink / Allan Simonsen / Preben Elkjær / Emilio Butragueño / Ruud Gullit / Frank Rijkaard / Lothar Matthäus / Hristo Stoichkov / Dennis Bergkamp / Roberto Baggio / Paolo Maldini / Oliver Kahn / Thierry Henry / Ronaldinho / Andrés Iniesta / Neymar / Antoine Griezmann – twice on the podium

More stories from the podium

Not every player who has made it onto the podium several times has managed to win the award. But some have gone the other way round: they appeared in the top three just once, and on that very occasion, they took the trophy home.

In total, 22 players have followed this path, reaching the podium just once and leaving as winners.

They are: Stanley Matthews, in 1956; Omar Sívori, in 1961; Josef Masopust, in 1962; Lev Yashin, in 1963; Denis Law, in 1964; Flórián Albert, in 1967; Oleg Blokhin, in 1975; Paolo Rossi, in 1982; Igor Belanov, in 1986; Jean-Pierre Papin, in 1991; George Weah in 1995; Matthias Sammer in 1996; Rivaldo in 1999; Luís Figo in 2000; Michael Owen in 2001; Pavel Nedvěd in 2003; Fabio Cannavaro in 2006; Kaká in 2007; Luka Modrić in 2018; Karim Benzema in 2022; Rodri in 2024; and Ousmane Dembélé in 2025.

Among the players who have reached the podium most often without ever winning the award, there is a tie between two midfielders: the German Bernd Schuster and the Spaniard Xavi, with three appearances each.

Schuster finished second in 1980 and third in 1981 and 1985. Xavi, meanwhile, came third for three years running, in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Another name worthy of mention is Paolo Maldini. The legendary Italian centre-back has the third-longest gap between his first and last appearances on the podium, behind only Lionel Messi, with 16 years, and Cristiano Ronaldo, with 12.

Maldini came third in 1994, aged 26. Nine years later, at the age of 35, he returned to the podium for the last time, in 2003.

Marco van Basten also deserves a mention. The Dutch striker appeared on the podium three times during his career – and won the award on all three occasions: 1988, 1989 and 1992.

He ended his career with three Ballons d’Or and a curious feat: he never finished in second or third place. Whenever he appeared on the podium, he always came out on top.

And now?

Messi, Ronaldo, Beckenbauer, Platini and so many other greats have helped shape the history of the Ballon d’Or podium. Some dominated the competition for years, whilst others needed just one opportunity to take the trophy home.

But the story is still being written.

Who will finish among the world’s top three players this year?

On 26 October, in London, we’ll find out.