Italian and Serie A Stars in Ballon d'Or History
Serie A players have won the Ballon d'Or 18 times, with Juventus and Milan each winning it eight times. No player based in Italy has won the award since 2007.
The 2026 Ballon d'Or is being awarded tonight in London. On this occasion, we look at the Italian and Serie A players who have won world football's most prestigious individual award.
Serie A players have won the award 18 times to date. Juventus and Milan have each been honoured eight times, while Inter have received it twice. However, no footballer playing for an Italy-based club has won the Ballon d'Or since 2007.
The first Serie A winner in history was Omar Sívori. The Argentine-born forward reached the award in 1961 while playing for Juventus. In 1969, Gianni Rivera became Milan's first winner. Rivera had played an important role in the club's European Cup triumph.
Paolo Rossi led Italy to the title at the 1982 World Cup in Spain and won the award as the tournament's top scorer. Roberto Baggio stood out in 1993, the season Juventus won the UEFA Cup. Michel Platini won it three times in a row from 1983 to 1985, bringing a fourth consecutive award to Juventus.
The most recent Italian winner and the last defender to win the award was Fabio Cannavaro. As captain when Italy lifted the 2006 World Cup, Cannavaro received the Ballon d'Or in 2006.
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