5 Youngest Ballon d'Or Winners in Football History
- Argentina's Lionel Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the Ballon d’Or awards with multiple wins
- Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal was a top finisher in the 2025 awards and is a predicted future winner
- Ronaldo won a second Ballon d'Or in 2002 after his sensational performances at the World Cup in Japan and South Korea, where he scored in the final against Germany
The first winner of the Ballon d'Or award in 1956, Stanley Matthews, also holds the record as its oldest recipient.
The 41-year-old, at the time, claimed football's coveted accolade. But at the other end of the scale, the history of the Ballon d’Or has featured youthful winners.
Source: Getty Images
While no teenager has yet managed to capture football’s most prestigious individual honour, several young prodigies have already risen to the top of the global game and been crowned the world’s best player.
To date, only one player has ever lifted the Ballon d’Or award before turning 22, joining an elite group of rising stars who left their mark on the game at a remarkably young age.
With the 2025 awards in the rearview, among the top finishers was Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal, who could have become the youngest winner of football's biggest individual accolade.
While his ambitions will have to wait for another year, YEN.com.gh has taken a look at the five youngest Ballon d'Or winners in football history.
Youngest Ballon d'Or winners in history
5. Oleg Blokhin: 1975 (Age: 23 years, 1 month, 25 days)
Oleg Blokhin was just 23 years old when he won the Ballon d'Or in 1975, becoming the second Soviet player to claim the award, per Sports Illustrated.
His exceptional season included being the top scorer in the Soviet championship and leading Dynamo Kyiv to victory in the European Cup Winners' Cup.
He also spearheaded his club's triumph over Bayern Munich to win the European Super Cup, earning him the title of Soviet Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or ahead of legends like Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff.
4. George Best: 1968 (Age: 22 years, 7 months, 2 days)
Forty years before Ronaldo secured Manchester United’s fourth Ballon d'Or, George Best claimed the award in 1968. Known as the first pop star of world football, he was a genius on the pitch.
His artistry and flair earned him legendary status, and he was later named Manchester United’s best player of the century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).
Best was a showman who captured the imagination of fans, becoming an icon both on and off the field, with his success at the highest level detailed by Google Arts & Culture.
3. Lionel Messi: 2009 (Age: 22 years, 5 months, 7 days)
In 2009, future FIFA World Cup winner Lionel Messi won his first Ballon d'Or, receiving 98.5% of the votes, and became the first Argentine to claim the award, according to Goal.
That year, he was instrumental in Barcelona's historic sextuple, winning La Liga, the Spanish Cup, the UEFA Champions League, the Spanish Super Cup, the European Super Cup, and the Club World Cup.
At just 22, Messi's extraordinary talent was already evident, and he quickly became one of the most talked-about players in the world, with some even hailing him as the greatest of all time.
2. Michael Owen: 2001 (Age: 22 years, 4 days)
Michael Owen was pivotal in Liverpool’s outstanding 2000/01 season, helping the club win five trophies, including the FA Cup and UEFA Cup. Despite missing 15 matches, he scored 24 goals and provided seven assists in 46 appearances.
His form continued into the 2001/02 season, where he scored 11 goals in 17 games, leading to his Ballon d'Or victory ahead of Raul Gonzalez and Oliver Kahn. Sadly, Owen’s career later took a downturn due to injuries and inconsistent form.
See a video of Owen receiving his award below:
1. Ronaldo Nazario: 1997 (Age: 21 years, 3 months, 5 days)
On December 23, 1997, at just 21 years old, future Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario became the youngest player to win the Ballon d'Or.
That year, he won the Copa America, the Copa del Rey, and finished as La Liga’s top scorer with Barcelona before moving to Inter Milan.
According to The Guardian, Ronaldo went on to win a second Ballon d'Or in 2002 after his sensational performances at the World Cup in Japan and South Korea, where he scored in the final against Germany.
Despite injuries cutting short his prime, Ronaldo remains the youngest Ballon d'Or winner in history, at least for now.
Source: Getty Images
This year's Ballon d'Or was awarded to Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele, who helped his club claim a historic treble: the Ligue 1 title, the Coupe de France, and the Champions League.
PSG also reached the Club World Cup final with his assistance, with the French forward's statistics including 35 goals and 14 assists in all competitions, according to The BBC.
While Lamine Yamal had to settle for second place this year, many have high expectations for the teenager and believe he could still become the youngest-ever winner of the Ballon d'Or.
Ballon d'Or latest rankings
YEN.com.gh earlier reported on the latest 2025 Ballon d'Or power rankings ahead of the official shortlist announcement on August 7.
The current standings see Lamine Yamal rise the highest, while Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah, and Raphinha all dropped places.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
