Lionel Messi

Messi has 8 Ballon d'Or wins, the record on the France Football list, and won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina. Lionel Andrés Messi was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. The Ballon d'Or page says he has won the award a record 8 times and holds the record for most consecutive wins, with 4 between 2009 and 2012. The same page says he is the only player to win it with 3 clubs and the only one to win it while playing outside Europe, and that he has finished in the top 3 a record 14 times. His player page lists a World Cup win in 2022, a runner-up finish in 2014 and another in 2026, and Copa América wins in 2021 and 2024. It also lists 207 Argentina caps and 125 goals as of 19 July 2026. He plays for Inter Miami. The next Ballon d'Or gala is dated 26 October 2026, so these 8 wins predate that vote.