Barcelona has produced 12 Ballon d’Or-winning editions, won by six different players. Lionel Messi accounts for six of them.
The other Barcelona Ballon d’Or winners are Luis Suárez (1960), Johan Cruyff (1973 and 1974), Hristo Stoichkov (1994), Rivaldo (1999) and Ronaldinho (2005).
This list counts a win for the club the player represented when he won it. It does not count a player’s full career total.
That distinction matters most for Messi and Cruyff, who each won the award with more than one club. Only their Barcelona-era wins are counted here.
The figures cover the completed men’s editions through 2025. The 2020 edition was cancelled and is not treated as a winning year.
Barcelona Ballon d’Or Winners: Full List and Years
| Year | Player | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Luis Suárez | Spain |
| 1973 | Johan Cruyff | Netherlands |
| 1974 | Johan Cruyff | Netherlands |
| 1994 | Hristo Stoichkov | Bulgaria |
| 1999 | Rivaldo | Brazil |
| 2005 | Ronaldinho | Brazil |
| 2009 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
| 2010 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
| 2011 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
| 2012 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
| 2015 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
| 2019 | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
Note: Messi also won the Ballon d’Or in 2021 and 2023, but neither victory counts toward Barcelona’s total. He was representing Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and Inter Miami in 2023 when the awards were presented.
How Many Barcelona Players Have Won the Ballon d’Or?
Barcelona has had six different Ballon d’Or winners under the club-attribution method used here. Real Madrid has had eight, so it leads when comparing the number of individual players who won while representing each club.
The number of individual winners is different from the number of winning editions, because players such as Messi and Cruyff won the award more than once for Barcelona.
For a broader club-by-club breakdown, see our list of football clubs with the most Ballon d’Or wins.
Barcelona Ballon d’Or Winners by Player
Luis Suárez — 1960
Luis Suárez won the 1960 Ballon d’Or while representing Barcelona. He remains the club’s first winner of the award.
Suárez was a Galician midfielder with a reputation for passing range and vision. Barcelona won La Liga in 1958–59 and 1959–60 during his time in the side.
The context is important. In 1960 the Ballon d’Or was a European award, voted by journalists and limited to European players. It did not measure players against the whole world.
Suárez left for Inter in 1961. He is not related to the Uruguayan striker of the same name who played for Barcelona decades later.
Johan Cruyff — 1973 and 1974
Johan Cruyff won the Ballon d’Or in 1973 and 1974 while representing Barcelona. Those two victories were consecutive.
His career total is three, but the first came in 1971 while he was at Ajax. That award does not count toward Barcelona’s total.
Cruyff signed for Barcelona in 1973 for a then-record fee. In his first season the club won La Liga for the first time in 14 years.
That season included a 5-0 win over Real Madrid at the Bernabéu. The result is still remembered in Catalonia as a turning point for the club.
Cruyff’s influence on Barcelona went well beyond the 1970s. His ideas on positional play shaped the club’s identity for decades, and he returned as manager in 1988.
Hristo Stoichkov — 1994
Hristo Stoichkov won the 1994 Ballon d’Or while at Barcelona. The Bulgarian forward joined from CSKA Sofia in 1990.
The award recognised his performances during a successful era for the club under Johan Cruyff’s management.
At international level, he was joint top scorer at the 1994 World Cup, where Bulgaria reached the semi-finals.
Rivaldo — 1999
Rivaldo won the 1999 Ballon d’Or while representing Barcelona. He had arrived from Deportivo La Coruña in 1997.
Rivaldo played as a forward or attacking midfielder and was one of Barcelona’s main creative and scoring threats during this period. The club won La Liga in both 1998 and 1999.
His 1999 victory came after the Ballon d’Or eligibility rules had expanded in 1995 to include non-European players representing European clubs.
Ronaldinho — 2005
Ronaldinho won the 2005 Ballon d’Or as a Barcelona player. He had joined from Paris Saint-Germain in 2003.
Barcelona won La Liga in 2004-05, their first league title in six years. Ronaldinho was the focal point of that team as both a creator and a scorer.
Ronaldinho had also won the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2004. That was a separate honour from the Ballon d’Or, which he received the following year.
Lionel Messi — Barcelona’s Record Ballon d’Or Winner
Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or eight times in total. Only the six victories achieved while he was representing Barcelona are counted in this article.
His Barcelona-winning years were 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019.
The 2009 award followed Barcelona’s treble season under Pep Guardiola. Messi scored in the Champions League final win over Manchester United in Rome.
The 2010 award was the first of the merged FIFA Ballon d’Or era. Messi finished ahead of his Barcelona team-mates Andrés Iniesta and Xavi in the final top three.
He won again in 2011 after another league and Champions League season. Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi completed the final three that year.
In 2012 he scored 91 goals across club and country in a calendar year. That broke the record set by Gerd Müller in 1972.
The 2015 award followed another treble, this time under Luis Enrique. Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez formed the attack of that side.
In 2019 he won the European Golden Shoe after a 36-goal La Liga season.
Messi’s 2021 and 2023 Ballon d’Or victories do not count toward Barcelona’s total. He had joined Paris Saint-Germain before the 2021 ceremony and Inter Miami before the 2023 ceremony.
Messi accounts for half of Barcelona’s 12 Ballon d’Or-winning editions. His six victories while representing the club reflect the overlap between his individual peak and Barcelona’s successful era under several managers.
Barcelona Players Who Won Multiple Ballon d’Or Awards
Only two players have won the Ballon d’Or more than once while representing Barcelona. Lionel Messi won six times at the club. Johan Cruyff won twice.
No other Barcelona player has more than one victory while at the club.
Did Barcelona Have the Most Ballon d’Or Winners?
No. Barcelona does not have the most Ballon d’Or winners when counting different players.
Six players have won the award while representing Barcelona. Real Madrid has more, with eight different players achieving the same feat under the same club-attribution method.
The distinction matters. Barcelona leads or ties in total winning editions in some counts because Lionel Messi collected multiple awards at the club.
When the focus is the number of individual winners rather than the total number of winning editions, Real Madrid sits ahead. Club rankings can vary depending on how each award is attributed to the club represented at the time of the win.
Using the consistent approach of attributing each award only to the club the player represented at the time of the win keeps the comparison clear.
Barcelona Ballon d’Or Winners and Historical Context
The Ballon d’Or has changed several times since its launch in 1956.
It began as a European award for European players. That restriction applied when Suárez and Cruyff won, and for Stoichkov’s win in 1994.
Eligibility widened in 1995 to include non-Europeans playing for European clubs. It widened again in 2007 to players from anywhere in the world.
From 2010 through 2015 the prize was merged with FIFA’s award and presented as the FIFA Ballon d’Or. Four of Messi’s Barcelona wins fall in that period.
France Football resumed running the award on its own in 2016. UEFA has since become involved in the modern ceremony.
For background, read what the Ballon d’Or is, how Ballon d’Or voting works and the main Ballon d’Or records.
FAQ
How many Barcelona players have won the Ballon d’Or?
Six different players have won the Ballon d’Or while representing Barcelona.
How many Ballon d’Ors has Barcelona won?
Barcelona players have won 12 Ballon d’Or editions while representing the club, under the club-attribution method used in this article.
Who has won the most Ballon d’Ors for Barcelona?
Lionel Messi has six Barcelona-attributed victories.
Did Messi win the 2021 Ballon d’Or as a Barcelona player?
No. He won the 2021 award while representing Paris Saint-Germain. It is not counted as a Barcelona victory.
Which Barcelona player won the first Ballon d’Or?
Luis Suárez was Barcelona’s first winner, in 1960.
Who was Barcelona’s most recent Ballon d’Or winner?
Lionel Messi in 2019, counting only victories achieved while representing Barcelona.
Did Lionel Messi win the 2023 Ballon d’Or as a Barcelona player?
No. Messi won the 2023 Ballon d’Or while representing Inter Miami. His 2023 victory is not included in Barcelona’s club total.
Conclusion
Barcelona’s Ballon d’Or winners are Luis Suárez, Johan Cruyff, Hristo Stoichkov, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi. Together, they account for 12 winning editions across more than six decades.
Messi accounts for six of Barcelona’s 12 winning editions. His eighth Ballon d’Or, awarded in 2023, came while he represented Inter Miami, so it does not count toward Barcelona’s total.
The distinction between a player’s career record and a club’s tally is essential when comparing Ballon d’Or history.
To see how these winners fit into the wider history, browse the full Ballon d’Or winners list.
