1958: Raymond Kopa

After France Football established the Ballon d'Or in 1956, Raymond Kopa became the first French player to win the award in 1958. That year, the former Reims star led France to a surprising third-place finish at the World Cup in Sweden and helped Real Madrid win their second European Cup, defeating AC Milan 3-2 after extra time.

1983, 1984, and 1985: Michel Platini

After Kopa, the French had to wait 25 years for another Ballon d'Or, but Michel Platini achieved the extraordinary feat of winning it three times in a row, from 1983 to 1985.

He won the award after his first full season at Juventus in 1983. In 1984, Platini retained the Ballon d'Or after a perfect year: winning Serie A, the European Championship with France, and scoring 9 goals in the tournament. In 1985, he was honored again after helping Juventus win their first European Cup, beating Liverpool 1-0.

1991: Jean-Pierre Papin

In his penultimate season of a 6-year stint with Marseille, Jean-Pierre Papin was honored at the end of 1991. That year, he led Marseille to the European Cup final, although they lost to Red Star Belgrade on penalties. Papin scored a total of 43 goals for Marseille in 1991, along with 7 goals for France. He also helped Marseille win Ligue 1 and the French Cup in the 1990-1991 season.

1998: Zinedine Zidane

Finishing third in the 1997 voting, Zinedine Zidane had to wait until winning the World Cup on home soil in 1998 to receive the Ballon d'Or. The award was well-deserved, as he dominated the tournament, especially with two decisive headers in the 3-0 final victory against Brazil.

That same year, Zidane won Serie A with Juventus and reached the Champions League final, but lost 1-0 to Real Madrid. In 2000, after winning the European Championship with France, Zidane nearly won another Ballon d'Or but lost to Luis Figo in a close vote (25.75% to 23.66%).

2022: Karim Benzema

As a key figure in Real Madrid's magical run in the 2021-2022 Champions League, Karim Benzema shone brightly. He scored hat-tricks in the round of 16 against PSG, four goals in the quarterfinals against Chelsea, and three goals in the semifinals against Man City. Benzema was honored after a landslide victory in the voting (549 to 193) over runner-up Sadio Mane, having helped Real win La Liga and the Champions League in the same year.

2025: Ousmane Dembele

The PSG forward won the award after a stellar season with the club. He scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists in 53 games, helping PSG win the Champions League, Ligue 1, the French League Cup, and the French Cup.

According to Vincent Garcia, editor-in-chief of France Football, which oversees the Ballon d'Or, despite rumors of Lamine Yamal winning, Dembele's victory was convincing, with a landslide vote.

Hoang Thong

Photo: AFP, Ballon d'O