<P> From 2005, the winners of the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award were identical each year . Following the introduction of a global Ballon d'Or format in 2007, France Football and FIFA opted to merge the two awards . The creation of the FIFA Ballon d'Or was subsequently announced during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa . The inaugural award was presented that same year to the Argentine Lionel Messi . </P> <P> After a six - year partnership, France Football and FIFA terminated the joint award . Lionel Messi had received the final FIFA Ballon d'Or . For historical purposes, both awarding bodies regard the six editions of the FIFA Ballon d'Or as a continuation of their respective awards . </P> <P> The winners of the FIFA Ballon d'Or are chosen by international journalists and the coaches and captains of the national teams under FIFA's jurisdiction . In a system based on positional voting, each voter was allotted three votes, worth five points, three points and one point, and the three finalists were ordered based on total number of points . Voters were provided with a shortlist of 23 players from which they could select the three players they deemed to have performed the best in the previous calendar year . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th> Rank </Th> <Th> Player </Th> <Th> Team </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1st </Td> <Td> Lionel Messi </Td> <Td> Barcelona </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2nd </Td> <Td> Andrés Iniesta </Td> <Td> Barcelona </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 3rd </Td> <Td> Xavi </Td> <Td> Barcelona </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="5"> </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2011 </Td> <Td> 1st </Td> <Td> Lionel Messi </Td> <Td> Barcelona </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2nd </Td> <Td> Cristiano Ronaldo </Td> <Td> Real Madrid </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 3rd </Td> <Td> Xavi </Td> <Td> Barcelona </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="5"> </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2012 </Td> <Td> 1st </Td> <Td> Lionel Messi </Td> <Td> Barcelona </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2nd </Td> <Td> Cristiano Ronaldo </Td> <Td> Real Madrid </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 3rd </Td> <Td> Andrés Iniesta </Td> <Td> Barcelona </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="5"> </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2013 </Td> <Td> 1st </Td> <Td> Cristiano Ronaldo </Td> <Td> Real Madrid </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2nd </Td> <Td> Lionel Messi </Td> <Td> Barcelona </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 3rd </Td> <Td> Franck Ribéry </Td> <Td> Bayern Munich </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="5"> </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2014 </Td> <Td> 1st </Td> <Td> Cristiano Ronaldo </Td> <Td> Real Madrid </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2nd </Td> <Td> Lionel Messi </Td> <Td> Barcelona </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 3rd </Td> <Td> Manuel Neuer </Td> <Td> Bayern Munich </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="5"> </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2015 </Td> <Td> 1st </Td> <Td> Lionel Messi </Td> <Td> Barcelona </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2nd </Td> <Td> Cristiano Ronaldo </Td> <Td> Real Madrid </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 3rd </Td> <Td> Neymar </Td> <Td> Barcelona </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Who votes for the ballon d or winner
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