The 2026 Ballon d’Or battle is intensifying, and in just a few weeks’ time, the next winner of football’s most prestigious individual award will waltz up to the London stage to collect their hard-earned trophy. A record-extending ninth triumph for Lionel Messi – while possible – is not expected to come to fruition, but Ousmane Dembele is a strong contender to retain the accolade he collected in 2025. However, the juicy head-to-head between Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal is currently dominating the Ballon d’Or debate, especially after the former’s latest milestone achievement after the latter’s not-so-subtle dig. After Yamal insisted that the Ballon d’Or should be awarded to the best player rather than the best goalscorer, Kane smashed yet another record, netting 100 Bundesliga goals in an unprecedented 98 matches. Hailed the “king” by the German media , Kane is the bookies’ favourite to become the first English winner of the Ballon d’Or for 25 years, but does Yamal’s ‘best player over best goalscorer’ claim align with history? Here, Sports Mole takes a look at how many European Golden Shoe winners since 2000 also won the Ballon d’Or for that year/season.
Five European top scorer and Ballon d’Or winners since 2000
Ballon d’Or & European Golden Shoe: How Often Do They Match? Season-by-season comparison, 1999-2000 to 2025-26
5 doubles in 26 completed seasons
Show doubles only ✓ Same player won both
Ballon d’Or winners compared with European Golden Shoe winners, by season, 1999-2000 to 2025-26. Season
European Golden Shoe winner
Goals
Ballon d’Or winner
Same? 1999-00
Kevin Phillips (Sunderland)
30
Luis Figo
❌
2000-01
Henrik Larsson (Celtic)
35
Michael Owen
❌
2001-02
Mario Jardel (Sporting CP)
42
Ronaldo
❌
2002-03
Roy Makaay (Deportivo)
29
Pavel Nedved
❌
2003-04
Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
30
Andriy Shevchenko
❌
2004-05
Thierry Henry (Arsenal)& Diego Forlan
25
Ronaldinho
❌
2005-06
Luca Toni (Fiorentina)
31
Fabio Cannavaro
❌
2006-07
Francesco Totti (Roma)
26
Kaka
❌
2007-08
Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd)
31
Cristiano Ronaldo
✅
2008-09
Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid)
32
Lionel Messi
❌
2009-10
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
34
Lionel Messi
✅
2010-11
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
40
Lionel Messi
❌
2011-12
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
50
Lionel Messi
✅
2012-13
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
46
Cristiano Ronaldo
❌
2013-14
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)& Luis Suarez
31
Cristiano Ronaldo
✅
2014-15
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
48
Lionel Messi
❌
2015-16
Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
40
Cristiano Ronaldo
❌
2016-17
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
37
Cristiano Ronaldo
❌
2017-18
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
34
Luka Modric
❌
2018-19
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
36
Lionel Messi
✅
2019-20
Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
36
No award (COVID-19)
—
2020-21
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern)
41
Lionel Messi
❌
2021-22
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern)
35
Karim Benzema
❌
2022-23
Erling Haaland (Man City)
36
Lionel Messi
❌
2023-24
Harry Kane (Bayern)
36
Rodri
❌
2024-25
Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
31
Ousmane Dembele
❌
2025-26
Harry Kane (Bayern)
36
Award not yet presented
TBD
Goal totals are raw league-goal counts; the European Golden Shoe applies a coefficient weighting by league strength when awarding the trophy itself. 2019-20 saw no Ballon d’Or presented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2025-26 Ballon d’Or has not yet been awarded.
While prolific attackers will naturally position themselves at the top of the Ballon d’Or shortlist – unless your name is Rodri, Luka Modric or Fabio Cannavaro – scoring the most goals does not guarantee a Ballon d’Or crowning, as the historical data shows. Indeed, only five recipients of the European Golden Shoe have also claimed the world’s best player prize since 2000, and none since Messi in the 2018-19 season. Kylian Mbappe topped the continental scoring charts in 2024-25 with 31 efforts, but Dembele’s Champions League coronation trumped his compatriot’s attacking achievements, while Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski have also been snubbed in recent years. The latter has been crowned the honorary winner of the cancelled 2020 Ballon d’Or by fans, but Lewandowski was not even the most prolific striker in Europe that year – that award went to Ciro Immobile. In fact, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only European Golden Shoe and Ballon d’Or double winners in history, the former also doing so in 2009-10 and 2011-12, while Ronaldo managed the feat in 2007-08 and 2013-14. How many Ballon d’Or winners haven’t won the Champions League, Euros, Copa America or World Cup? Ballon d’Or Winners: Did They Land a Major Trophy Too?
UCL, Euros, Copa America and World Cup wins by year, 2000-2025
16 of 25 with a trophy
Show trophy winners only Won that competition the same year
Ballon d’Or winners by year, cross-referenced against Champions League, European Championship, Copa America and World Cup wins in the same year. Year
Winner
UCL
Euros
Copa America
World Cup
Major trophy?
2000
Luis Figo
No
No
—
—
No
2001
Michael Owen
No
—
No
—
No
2002
Ronaldo
No
—
—
WonBrazil
Yes
2003
Pavel Nedved
No
—
—
—
No
2004
Andriy Shevchenko
No
No
No
—
No
2005
Ronaldinho
No
—
—
—
No
2006
Fabio Cannavaro
No
—
—
WonItaly
Yes
2007
Kaka
WonMilan
—
—*
—
Yes
2008
Cristiano Ronaldo
WonMan Utd
No
—
—
Yes
2009
Lionel Messi
WonBarcelona
—
—
—
Yes
2010
Lionel Messi
No
—
—
No
No
2011
Lionel Messi
WonBarcelona
—
No
—
Yes
2012
Lionel Messi
No
—
—
—
No
2013
Cristiano Ronaldo
No
—
—
—
No
2014
Cristiano Ronaldo
WonReal Madrid
—
—
No
Yes
2015
Lionel Messi
WonBarcelona
—
No
—
Yes
2016
Cristiano Ronaldo
WonReal Madrid
WonPortugal
—
—
Yes (x2)
2017
Cristiano Ronaldo
WonReal Madrid
—
—
—
Yes
2018
Luka Modric
WonReal Madrid
—
—
No (runner-up)
Yes
2019
Lionel Messi
No
—
No
—
No
2020
No award
—
—
—
—
—
2021
Lionel Messi
No
No
WonArgentina
—
Yes
2022
Karim Benzema
WonReal Madrid
—
—
—**
Yes
2023
Lionel Messi
No
—
—
WonArgentina†
Yes
2024
Rodri
No
WonSpain
—
—
Yes
2025
Ousmane Dembele
WonPSG
—
—
—
Yes
* Brazil won the 2007 Copa America with a much-changed squad; Kaka was rested and did not feature. ** Karim Benzema was named in France’s 2022 World Cup squad but withdrew through injury before the tournament. † Argentina’s 2022 World Cup win (December 2022) falls inside the Aug 2022–Jul 2023 Ballon d’Or eligibility window, so it’s credited to Messi’s 2023 award. In stark contrast, players who have achieved tremendous team success – either the Champions League, Euros, Copa America or World Cup – are far more likely to also take home the Ballon d’Or. Since 2000, 16 of the 25 Ballon d’Or winners – 64% – also won one of the four major accolades at team level, including each of the recipients since 2021. Of the nine incidences of a player winning a Ballon d’Or without a UCL, Euros, Copa America or World Cup, Messi and Ronaldo are responsible for four of them, alongside Ronaldinho, Pavel Nedved, Andriy Shevchenko, Luis Figo and Michael Owen.
Interestingly, only one of the six Ballons d’Or between 2000 and 2005 went to a player who had won one of the four major honours – Brazil’s 2002 World Cup legend Ronaldo – so team success evidently carries far more weight than it used to.
