1956 – Stanley Matthews (Inglaterra – Blackpool)
1957 – Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina – Real Madrid)
1958 – Raymond Kopa (Francia – Real Madrid)
1959 – Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina – Real Madrid)
1960 – Luis Suárez (España – Barcelona)
1961 – Omar Sívori (Argentina – Juventus)
1962 – Josef Masopust (Checoslovaquia – Dukla Praga)
1963 – Lev Yashin (Unión Soviética – Dinamo Moscú)
1964 – Denis Law (Escocia – Manchester United)
1965 – Eusébio (Portugal – Benfica)
1966 – Bobby Charlton (Inglaterra – Manchester United)
1967 – Flórián Albert (Hungría – Ferencváros)
1968 – George Best (Irlanda del Norte – Manchester United)
1969 – Gianni Rivera (Italia – Milan)
1970 – Gerd Müller (Alemania Federal – Bayern Munich)
1971 – Johan Cruyff (Holanda – Ajax)
1972 – Franz Beckenbauer (Alemania Federal – Bayern Munich)
1973 – Johan Cruyff (Holanda – Barcelona)
1974 – Johan Cruyff (Holanda – Barcelona)
1975 – Oleg Blojín (Unión Soviética – Dinamo Kiev)
1976 – Franz Beckenbauer (Alemania Federal - Bayern Munich)
1977 – Allan Simonsen (Dinamarca – Borussia Mönchengladbach)
1978 – Kevin Keegan (Inglaterra – Hamburgo)
1979 – Kevin Keegan (Inglaterra – Hamburgo)
1980 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Alemania Federal – Bayern Munich)
1981 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Alemania Federal – Bayern Munich)
1982 – Paolo Rossi (Italia – Juventus)
1983 – Michel Platini (Francia – Juventus)
1984 – Michel Platini (Francia – Juventus)
1985 – Michel Platini (Francia – Juventus)
1986 – Igor Belánov (Unión Soviética – Dinamo Kiev)
1987 – Ruud Gullit (Holanda – Milan)
1988 – Marco van Basten (Holanda – Milan)
1989 – Marco van Basten (Holanda – Milan)
1990 – Lothar Matthäus (Alemania – Inter)
1991 – Jean-Pierre Papin (Francia – Olympique Marsella)
1992 – Marco van Basten (Holanda – Milan)
1993 – Roberto Baggio (Italia – Juventus)
1994 – Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria – Barcelona)
1995 – George Weah (Liberia – Milan)
1996 – Matthias Sammer (Alemania – Borussia Dortmund)
1997 – Ronaldo (Brasil – Inter)
1998 – Zinedine Zidane (Francia – Juventus)
1999 – Rivaldo (Brasil – Barcelona)
2000 – Luis Figo (Portugal – Real Madrid)
2001 – Michael Owen (Inglaterra – Liverpool)
2002 – Ronaldo (Brasil – Real Madrid)
2003 - Pavel Nedved (República Checa – Juventus)
2004 – Andriy Shevchenko (Ucrania – Milan)
2005 - Ronaldinho (Brasil – Barcelona)
2006 – Fabio Cannavaro (Italia – Real Madrid)
2007 – Kaká (Brasil – Milan)
2008 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal – Manchester United)
2009 – Lionel Messi (Argentina – Barcelona)
2010 – Lionel Messi (Argentina – Barcelona)
2011 – Lionel Messi (Argentina – Barcelona)
2012 – Lionel Messi (Argentina – Barcelona)