South American footballers who have won the Ballon d’Or in the last 25 years

For every professional or aspiring football player, winning trophies for club and country is the ultimate measure of success. Playing at the World Cup or the various continental tournaments, depending on which part of the world you come from, remains high on the aspirational ladder. But on a personal or individual level, no prize compares to winning the Ballon d'Or. It is the gold standard for measuring which footballer stood out among his peers in a calendar year.

Since its introduction in 1956, the award was initially only for players from Europe. However, this changed to include players of all origins. AC Milan's George Weah was the first non-European to win the Ballon d'Or in 1995.

In recent years, the award has been dominated by Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo. The duo has 13 Ballon d'Or titles between them, with Messi winning eight while Ronaldo has five.

While Messi has dominated the list for South America in recent years, several notable South American footballers have won it before him. This article highlights the South American football players who have won the award in the last 25 years.

Here is the list of South American winners:

1. Rivaldo (Brazil) – 1999

Regarded as one of the best football talents to have come out of Brazil, Rivaldo was peerless in the 1999 football season in Spain. He won the La Liga title with Barcelona, finishing the season as the second-highest goal-scorer with 24 goals. He won the Ballon d'Or in the same year, beating Manchester United's David Beckham.

2. Ronaldo (Brazil) - 1997, 2002

While playing for Inter Milan in 1997, the Brazilian won his first Ballon d'Or at the age of 21, remaining the youngest player ever to win this prestigious award. Ronaldo was the first Brazilian to win the Ballon d'Or at that time. He joined Real Madrid in 2002, a year in which he played a significant role in helping his country win the World Cup. Unsurprisingly, he won his second Ballon d'Or that year, beating his compatriot Roberto Carlos.

3. Ronaldinho (Brazil) – 2005

A smiling genius, Ronaldinho is arguably one of the best dribblers the game has ever seen. He started his career in professional football with Gremio. In 2001, he joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Ligue 1 before signing for Barcelona in 2003. During his five memorable seasons with the Spanish giants, Ronaldinho made a big name for himself, outperforming many expectations. His creativity and goal-scoring abilities were delightful to watch, and in 2005, he won the Ballon d'Or after winning the La Liga title in the 2004-05 season.

4. Kaká (Brazil) – 2007

Kaká is widely remembered as the last player to win the Ballon d'Or before the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly began. He was part of the Seleção squad that won the World Cup in 2002, despite being only 20 years old. He won the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan in 2007 and claimed the Ballon d'Or in the same year.

5. Lionel Messi (Argentina) - 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023

After conquering the 2022 World Cup and delivering Argentina its first world title since 1986, Lionel Messi became an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner in 2023, edging out runner-up Erling Haaland for the award. Only ten players have won multiple Ballons d'Or, and only five have claimed the honour three times or more. Lionel Messi (now with eight) and Cristiano Ronaldo (with five) have accounted for 20 percent of all Ballons d'Or.

These players have made significant contributions to the sport and have been recognised globally for their exceptional talent and performance.