If soccer had a soundtrack, it would be samba. The ball is a pandeiro, the feet caxixis. Each touch is an embrace, a “feast for the legs that play and the eyes that watch, much more than a big business run by overlords from Switzerland,” said famed Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano.
And like samba, its most remarkable practitioners are Brazilian. Modern soccer may have originated in England, but it found its joy and rhythm in Brazil. From the jungles of the countryside to the concrete courts lining the streets of Rio and São Paulo, Brazil has left an indelible mark on the beautiful game.
That influence shows up in the sport’s most lavish spectacle, too. No individual award carries more prestige in soccer than the Ballon d’Or, and few countries have produced as many winners as Brazil.
With that, here’s a look back at the Brazilians who have lifted the golden ball.
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What Brazilians players have won the Ballon d’Or?
Four Brazilians have hoisted soccer’s greatest individual award. Ronaldo was the first to secure the prize, becoming the youngest-ever Ballon d’Or winner when he struck gold in 1997 at the tender age of 21 years and 95 days old.
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O Fenomeno lifted the orb once more in 2002 after leading Brazil to World Cup glory. Fellow countryman Rivaldo had already joined him in history after landing the trophy in 1999. They were soon accompanied by Ronaldinho and Kaka, who were awarded the prize in 2005 and 2007, respectively.
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Other Brazilians have come close, including Neymar, who earned third-place finishes in 2015 and 2017. Vinicius Jr. narrowly missed out in 2024, falling 41 votes short of the honor to Manchester City stalwart Rodri.
Has Pelé won the Ballon d’Or?
For all of his exploits, Pelé never formally took home the Ballon d’Or.
France Football effectively refused to award the prize to non-European players until 1995, when AC Milan forward and Liberian star George Weah received it. Prior to Weah’s triumph, only Europeans were eligible.
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Pele wasn’t the only international star who missed out on hardware as a result of France Football’s narrow criteria. Generations of Brazilian icons weren’t given their due, with Zico, Garrincha and Romario all missing out on the award.
In 2016, the French publication did an “international re-evaluation” of the Ballon d’Or to work out which global stars might have won the trophy instead during its European years.
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France Football presented Pele with seven honorary Ballon d’Ors: in 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964 and 1970. Garrincha landed the 1962 prize while Romario was deemed the rightful winner of the 1994 award over Bulgarian star Hristo Stoichkov.
Has Neymar won the Ballon d’Or?
Neymar is undoubtedly one of the most iconic players of his generation. But he wasn’t quite able to secure the golden ball, placing third in 2015 and 2017.
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The gifted winger likely would have garnered additional recognition had he avoided injury and led PSG and Brazil to glory in the Champions League and World Cup, respectively. Now at Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, his path to the Ballon d’Or trophy appears to have effectively closed.
