There have been players in Ballon d’Or contention as teenagers, but no one has won the award before their 21st birthday. Seven players have won soccer’s highest individual honour before turning 24.
The list of the 15 youngest Ballon d’Or winners includes six multi-time winners.
Ranking Youngest Ballon d’Or Winners Ever
| Rank | Player | Nationality | Age, Birthday |
| 1 | Ronaldo | Brazilian | 21 years (Sept. 18, 1976) |
| 2 | Michael Owen | English | 22 years (Dec. 14, 1979) |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Argentinian | 22 years (June 24, 1987) |
| 4 | George Best | Northern Irish | 22 years (May 22, 1946) |
| 5 | Oleg Blokhin | Ukrainian | 23 years (Nov. 5, 1952) |
| 6 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portuguese | 23 years (Feb. 5, 1985) |
| 7 | Eusébio | Portuguese | 23 years (Jan. 25, 1942) |
| 8 | Marco van Basten | Dutch | 24 years (Oct. 31, 1964) |
| 9 | Johan Cruyff | Dutch | 24 years (April 25, 1947) |
| 10 | Allan Simonsen | Danish | 25 years (Dec. 15, 1952) |
| 11 | Gerd Müller | German | 25 years (Nov. 3, 1945) |
| 12 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | German | 25 years (Sept. 25, 1955) |
| 13 | Ruud Gullit | Dutch | 25 years (Sept. 1, 1962) |
| 14 | Kaká | Brazilian | 25 years (April 22, 1982) |
| 15 | Luis Suárez | Spanish | 25 years (May 2, 1935) |
Who Is the Youngest Ballon d’Or Winner of All Time?
Ronaldo is the youngest Ballon d’Or winner ever.
The Brazilian was 21 years old when he won the award for the first time in 1997. He went on to win it again in 2002, becoming the first Brazilian to win the honour on multiple occasions.
Lionel Messi, who has transformed Inter Miami into MLS betting favourites, is the third-youngest Ballon d’Or winner ever behind Ronaldo and Michael Owen. Messi also holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or wins with eight.
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