European Footballer of the Year

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The "Ballon d'Or" (French for "Golden Ball") is a football award, created in 1956 by the French football magazine France Football. It is usually known in English as the European Footballer of the Year award.

The award is given annually to the player considered to have performed the best over the previous year. In order to qualify for selection, the player must have been playing for a club based within UEFA's jurisdiction. Until 1995, a player also had to be of European nationality to be eligible. Voting for the award is undertaken by a group of European football journalists.

Only three players have managed to win the award three times, namely Johan Cruijff and Marco van Basten of the Netherlands, and Michel Platini of France.

[edit] Ballon d'Or Winners

2006 Image:Flag of Italy.svg Fabio Cannavaro	Image:Flag of Spain.svg Real Madrid
2005 Image:Flag of Brazil.svg Ronaldinho	Image:Flag of Spain.svg FC Barcelona
2004 Image:Flag of Ukraine.svg Andriy Shevchenko	Image:Flag of Italy.svg A.C. Milan
2003 Image:Flag of the Czech Republic (bordered).svg Pavel Nedvěd	Image:Flag of Italy.svg Juventus F.C.
2002 Image:Flag of Brazil.svg Ronaldo	Image:Flag of Spain.svg Real Madrid
2001 Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg Michael Owen	Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg Liverpool F.C.
2000 Image:Flag of Portugal.svg Luís Figo	Image:Flag of Spain.svg Real Madrid
1999 Image:Flag of Brazil.svg Rivaldo	Image:Flag of Spain.svg FC Barcelona
1998 Image:Flag of France.svg Zinedine Zidane	Image:Flag of Italy.svg Juventus F.C.
1997 Image:Flag of Brazil.svg Ronaldo	Image:Flag of Italy.svg Internazionale Milano FC
1996 Image:Flag of Germany.svg Matthias Sammer	Image:Flag of Germany.svg Borussia Dortmund
1995 Image:Flag of Liberia.svg George Weah	Image:Flag of Italy.svg A.C. Milan
1994 Image:Flag of Bulgaria (bordered).svg Hristo Stoichkov	Image:Flag of Spain.svg FC Barcelona
1993 Image:Flag of Italy.svg Roberto Baggio	Image:Flag of Italy.svg Juventus F.C.
1992 Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marco van Basten	Image:Flag of Italy.svg A.C. Milan
1991 Image:Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Papin	Image:Flag of France.svg Olympique Marseille
1990 Image:Flag of Germany.svg Lothar Matthäus	Image:Flag of Italy.svg Internazionale Milano FC
1989 Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marco van Basten	Image:Flag of Italy.svg A.C. Milan
1988 Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marco van Basten	Image:Flag of Italy.svg A.C. Milan
1987 Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Ruud Gullit	Image:Flag of Italy.svg A.C. Milan
1986 Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Igor Belanov	Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Dynamo Kiev
1985 Image:Flag of France.svg Michel Platini	Image:Flag of Italy.svg Juventus F.C.
1984 Image:Flag of France.svg Michel Platini	Image:Flag of Italy.svg Juventus F.C.
1983 Image:Flag of France.svg Michel Platini	Image:Flag of Italy.svg Juventus F.C.
1982 Image:Flag of Italy.svg Paolo Rossi	Image:Flag of Italy.svg Juventus F.C.
1981 Image:Flag of Germany.svg Karl-Heinz Rummenigge	Image:Flag of Germany.svg FC Bayern Munich
1980 Image:Flag of Germany.svg Karl-Heinz Rummenigge	Image:Flag of Germany.svg FC Bayern Munich
1979 Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg Kevin Keegan	Image:Flag of Germany.svg Hamburger SV
1978 Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg Kevin Keegan	Image:Flag of Germany.svg Hamburger SV
1977 Image:Flag of Denmark.svg Allan Simonsen	Image:Flag of Germany.svg Borussia Mönchengladbach
1976 Image:Flag of Germany.svg Franz Beckenbauer	Image:Flag of Germany.svg FC Bayern Munich
1975 Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Oleg Blokhin	Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Dynamo Kiev
1974 Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Johan Cruijff	Image:Flag of Spain.svg FC Barcelona
1973 Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Johan Cruijff	Image:Flag of Spain.svg FC Barcelona
1972 Image:Flag of Germany.svg Franz Beckenbauer	Image:Flag of Germany.svg FC Bayern Munich
1971 Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Johan Cruijff	Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Ajax Amsterdam
1970 Image:Flag of Germany.svg Gerd Müller	Image:Flag of Germany.svg FC Bayern Munich
1969 Image:Flag of Italy.svg Gianni Rivera	Image:Flag of Italy.svg A.C. Milan
1968 Image:Flag of Northern Ireland (bordered).svg George Best	Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg Manchester United FC
1967 Image:Flag of Hungary.svg Florian Albert	Image:Flag of Hungary.svg Ferencvárosi TC
1966 Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg Bobby Charlton	Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg Manchester United FC
1965 Image:Flag of Portugal.svg Eusébio	Image:Flag of Portugal.svg SL Benfica
1964 Image:Flag of Scotland.svg Denis Law	Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg Manchester United FC
1963 Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Lev Yashin	Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Dynamo Moscow
1962 Image:Flag of Czechoslovakia (bordered).svg Josef Masopust	Image:Flag of Czechoslovakia (bordered).svg Dukla Praha
1961 Image:Flag of Italy.svg Omar Sivori	Image:Flag of Italy.svg Juventus F.C.
1960 Image:Flag of Spain.svg Luis Suárez	Image:Flag of Spain.svg FC Barcelona
1959 Image:Flag of Spain.svg Alfredo Di Stéfano	Image:Flag of Spain.svg Real Madrid
1958 Image:Flag of France.svg Raymond Kopa	Image:Flag of Spain.svg Real Madrid
1957 Image:Flag of Spain.svg Alfredo Di Stéfano	Image:Flag of Spain.svg Real Madrid
1956 Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg Stanley Matthews	Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg Blackpool FC