Find out about the year Lionel Messi won his first Ballon d'Or.

Lionel Messi is arguably one of the greatest players in world football whose stats continue to make headlines across the sporting world.

That said, the Argentine also has a considerable collection of the Ballon d'Or award in his trophy cabinet throughout his career.

But when was his first award, and how did he win it? Well, this date will actually surprise you, showing his dominance began during his early career.

In which year did Lionel Messi win his first Ballon d'Or?

The year Lionel Messi won his first ballon d'or award in 2009 when he was 22 years old.

Messi was promoted to Barcelona’s first team even as the Argentine became an immediate impact on the team. Given the opportunity to feature for the first team, the South American quickly established himself as one of the reliable options in the attack.

Lionel Messi has won over seven Ballon d’Or awards throughout his career. 

After receiving his first award at 22 in the 2009–10 football season, he has gone on to win over eight Ballon d'Or awards, with the last award in 2021.

Messi won the majority of his Ballon d'Or awards (seven) during his time at FC Barcelona, where he won the Spanish La Liga, UEFA Champions League, Copa del Rey, FIFA Club World Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup.