(Reuters) - List of Ballon d'Or winners since the award's inception in 1956 after Rodri was named 2024 winner on Monday.
1956 - Stanley Matthews (England)
1957 - Alfredo Di Stefano (Spain)
1958 - Raymond Kopa (France)
1959 - Alfredo Di Stefano (Spain)
1960 - Luis Suarez (Spain)
1961 - Omar Sivori (Italy)
1962 - Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia)
1963 - Lev Yashin (Soviet Union)
1964 - Denis Law (Scotland)
1965 - Eusebio (Portugal)
1966 - Bobby Charlton (England)
1967 - Florian Albert (Hungary)
1968 - George Best (Northern Ireland)
1969 - Gianni Rivera (Italy)
1970 - Gerd Mueller (West Germany)
1971 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1972 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1973 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1974 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1975 - Oleg Blokhin (Soviet Union)
1976 - Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
1977 - Allan Simonsen (Denmark)
1978 - Kevin Keegan (England)
1979 - Kevin Keegan (England)
1980 - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1981 - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1982 - Paolo Rossi (Italy)
1983 - Michel Platini (France)
1984 - Michel Platini (France)
1985 - Michel Platini (France)
1986 - Igor Belanov (Soviet Union)
1987 - Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)
1988 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1989 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1990 - Lothar Matthaus (Germany)
1991 - Jean-Pierre Papin (France)
1992 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1993 - Roberto Baggio (Italy)
1994 - Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
1995 - George Weah (Liberia)
1996 - Matthias Sammer (Germany)
1997 - Ronaldo (Brazil)
1998 - Zinedine Zidane (France)
1999 - Rivaldo (Brazil)
2000 - Luis Figo (Portugal)
2001 - Michael Owen (England)
2002 - Ronaldo (Brazil)
2003 - Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic)
2004 - Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)
2005 - Ronaldinho (Brazil)
2006 - Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
2007 - Kaka (Brazil)
2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2009 - Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2010 - Lionel Messi (Argentina) *
2011 - Lionel Messi (Argentina) *
2012 - Lionel Messi (Argentina) *
2013 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) *
2014 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) *
2015 - Lionel Messi (Argentina) *
2016 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2017 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2018 - Luka Modric (Croatia)
2019 - Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2020 - Award Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)
2021 - Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2022 - Karim Benzema (France)
2023 - Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2024 - Rodri (Spain)
* From 2010-2015 the Ballon d'Or was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year to create the FIFA Ballon d'Or award.
(Compiled by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru)