How many Golden Balls has Andriy Shevchenko won?
Andriy Shevchenko became the third Ukrainian soccer player in history to win the Ballon d’Or. He won this prestigious individual award more than 20 years ago while playing for the Italian club AC Milan.
Since Ukraine declared independence, Shevchenko remains the only Ukrainian soccer player to have won the Ballon d’Or. He was presented with the award in 2004.
When and How Andriy Shevchenko Won the Ballon d’Or
That victory 22 years ago was the only one of its kind in Shevchenko’s career. The 2003–04 season was the fifth for the then-27-year-old Shevchenko with AC Milan.
During that campaign with the “Rossoneri,” the Ukrainian managed to win the Scudetto and top the scoring charts in the Italian league. His success in Serie A helped Shevchenko finally win the award this time, leaving behind Champions League winner Deco of Porto and Barcelona star Ronaldinho.
Top 10 in the 2004 Ballon d’Or voting:
Andriy Shevchenko (Milan) – 175
Deco (Porto/Barcelona) – 139
Ronaldinho (Barcelona) – 133
Thierry Henry (Arsenal) – 80
Theodoros Zagorakis (AEK/Bologna) – 44
Adriano (Parma/Inter) – 27
Pavel Nedved (Juventus) – 23
Wayne Rooney (Everton) – 22
Ricardo Carvalho (Porto/Chelsea) – 18
Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United) – 18
It should be noted that the Ukrainian was shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or six times. In addition to winning in 2004, he finished third in 1999 and 2000.
Which Ukrainians have won the Ballon d’Or?
In addition to Shevchenko, this award has gone to two Dynamo legends: Oleg Blokhin (1975) and Igor Belanov (1986).
In 2026, there are no Ukrainians among the nominees. Our most recent representative on the list of the best was Artem Dovbyk, who finished 30th in the voting in 2024.
On his 50th birthday,
Andriy Shevchenko recorded a touching video message about his family.
Andriy Shevchenko shared a new photo with his wife on their wedding anniversary.
The legendary Andriy Shevchenko spoke very eloquently about Putin.
