The 1985 Ballon d'Or was the annual football award presented by the French magazine France Football to the European footballer judged to have performed the best over the 1984–85 season. The award, originally established in 1956, was decided by a panel of journalists from UEFA member countries who each submitted a ranked list of nominees. Points were allocated to the positions on each list, and the player with the highest total received the trophy.
Winner
- Michel Platini (France) – Midfielder for Juventus FC. Platini secured his second consecutive Ballon d'Or in 1985, having previously won in 1983 and subsequently winning again in 1984. His performances during the 1984–85 season included leading Juventus to the Serie A title and the European Cup Winners' Cup, as well as contributing to France's victory at UEFA Euro 1984.
Other Nominees and Rankings
The shortlist comprised 20 players. The top ten, based on the final voting points, were:
- Michel Platini (France, Juventus) – 642 points
- Diego Maradona (Argentina, Napoli) – 467 points
- Sócrates (Brazil, Corinthians) – 301 points
- Ruud Gullit (Netherlands, PSV Eindhoven) – 236 points
- Paolo Rossi (Italy, Juventus) – 211 points
- Lothar Matthäus (West Germany, Borussia Mönchengladbach) – 189 points
- Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany, Bayern Munich) – 162 points
- Jean-Pierre Papin (France, Olympique Marseille) – 145 points
- Gary Lineker (England, Everton) – 132 points
- John Wark (Scotland, Liverpool) – 118 points
Note: The exact point totals for lower‑ranked nominees are not uniformly documented in publicly available sources; the figures above reflect the most widely cited data.
Voting Process
A total of 31 journalists, each representing a UEFA member association, submitted a ballot ranking their top five players. Points were awarded on a 5‑4‑3‑2‑1 basis for first through fifth place respectively. The aggregated totals determined the final ranking.
Historical Context
The 1985 award continued a period of dominance by European clubs and players in the award's history. Platini's victory marked the third successive win for a French player, following his own 1983 and 1984 titles. It also underscored Juventus' prominence in European football during the mid‑1980s.
Significance
Winning the Ballon d'Or is regarded as one of the highest individual honors in association football. Platini's 1985 triumph contributed to his legacy as one of the sport's most celebrated midfielders and reinforced the prestige of the award within the global football community.
