The Ballon d'Or also known as the European Footballer of the Year Award is an anual football award given to the overall best football player in Europe. Originally it could only be won by european players playing at european clubs so the great south american players such as Diego Maradona and Pele were innelegible to recieve this Award. This was changed in 1995 when the rules changed stating that non european players were elegible to recieve the Award as long as they played for a European football club.

The List

1995

1st George Weah Liberia

2nd Jürgen Klinsmann Germany

3rd Jari Litmanen Finland

1996

1st Matthias Sammer Germany


2nd Ronaldo Brazil


3rd Alan Shearer England


1997

1st Ronaldo Brazil


2nd Predrag Mijatović Yugoslavia


3rd Zinedine Zidane France


1998

1st Zinedine Zidane France


2nd Davor Šuker Croatia


3rd Ronaldo Brazil


1999

1st Rivaldo Brazil


2nd David Beckham England


3rd Andriy Shevchenko Ukraine


2000

1st Luís Figo Portugal


2nd Zinedine Zidane France


3rd Andriy Shevchenko Ukraine


2001

1st Michael Owen England


2nd Raúl Spain


3rd Oliver Kahn Germany


2002

1st Ronaldo Brazil


2nd Roberto Carlos Brazil


3rd Oliver Kahn Germany


2003

1st Pavel Nedvěd Czech Republic


2nd Thierry Henry France


3rd Paolo Maldini Italy


2004

1st Andriy Shevchenko Ukraine


2nd Deco Portugal


3rd Ronaldinho Brazil


2005

1st Ronaldinho Brazil


2nd Frank Lampard England


3rd Steven Gerrard England


2006

1st Fabio Cannavaro Italy


2nd Gianluigi Buffon Italy


3rd Thierry Henry France


2007

1st Kaká Brazil


2nd Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal


3rd Lionel Messi Argentina


2008

1st Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal


2nd Lionel Messi Argentina


3rd Fernando Torres Spain