Who has more Ballon d’Or wins, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the Ballon d’Or for more than a decade, building one of soccer’s greatest individual rivalries and leaving a remarkable record of wins behind them.

By Ariadna Pinheiro

October 26, 2026 12:11PM EDT

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo defined an era of soccer like few players ever have, and their rivalry extends well beyond goals, trophies and records. The Ballon d’Or became one of the clearest measures of their individual dominance.

Their winning years also tell the story of one of greatest individual rivalries. Messi collected four straight awards from 2009 through 2012, while Ronaldo broke through in 2008 before adding victories in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

UEFA lists the Argentine star as the award’s record holder, ahead of CR7 and a group of three-time winners. With the 2026 Ballon d’Or approaching, the gap between the two legends remains a fascinating part of the ceremony.

How many Ballon d’Or awards has Lionel Messi won?

Lionel Messi has won more Ballon d’Or awards than any other player in history, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo in second place with five trophies. As of October 2026, the Argentine icon has claimed a total of eight awards.

Lionel Messi attends the 67th Ballon D’Or Ceremony in 2023 (Source: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

His first Ballon d’Or arrived in 2009, when he helped Barcelona complete a historic treble featuring the Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey. He then dominated the award for four consecutive years, becoming the first player to win four straight awards.

After Cristiano Ronaldo won the award in 2013 and 2014, Messi reclaimed it in 2015, following another Champions League-winning campaign with Barcelona. He returned to the top again in 2019, before collecting his seventh trophy in 2021.

His most recent victory came in 2023, when he was recognized after leading Argentina to its first World Cup title since 1986. Without a doubt, he is one of the most prominent figures among Ballon d’Or winners.

Key takeaways

Lionel Messi won four straight awards from 2009 through 2012, while Cristiano Ronaldo won five.
Lionel Messi holds the record with eight Ballon d’Or awards, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lionel Messi won in 2023 after leading Argentina to its first World Cup since 1986.

Ariadna Pinheiro

Ariadna is a multisport journalist specialized in delivering key, high-value information across competitions, including tournament formats, rules, lineups and injury updates, while also producing evergreen content. Her career in journalism began in 2021 at Indie Emergente, a digital music magazine, where she honed her skills in writing and reporting. In 2023, she expanded her expertise by contributing to Spoiler Latinoamerica, creating general culture content, before joining Spoiler US in 2024 to focus on entertainment coverage. With almost six years of experience across different media outlets, Ariadna has developed strong expertise at the intersection of sports and entertainment, covering live events such as Super Bowls, FIFA World Cup opening and closing ceremonies, Olympic Games and UEFA Champions League finals, bringing depth, accuracy and real-time insight to her reporting.