In 1961, the sixth-ever Ballon d’Or title was awarded to Juventus striker Omar Sivori.
Although born in Argentina, Sivori became an Italian citizen in the late 1950’s, the first player from Italy and Serie A to win the prize since its inception in 1956.
Sivori made his debut for River Plate at the age of 19 and won three Primera División titles with the Argentine club. At the beginning of the 1957/58 season, Sivori signed for Juventus in a deal worth around £90,000, which at the time was a world record fee.
It was in the early 1960’s that Sivori truly impressed, showing immense consistency and almost under the radar, transforming himself into a powerhouse of the continental game.
Omar Sivori. The forgotten legend of Europe.
Serie A Domination
Even before his Ballon d’Or winning year, Omar Sivori had been taking Italian football by storm. Since his arrival in 1957, the striker had lifted two Serie A titles and a pair of Coppa Italia trophies.
He even lay claim to Serie A’s 1959/60 Golden Boot after scoring 28 times in only 31 games to hand Juventus their eleventh league title.
Sivori was equally as impressive during his fourth campaign with the ‘Old Lady’ and finished the 1960/61 season with 28 goals in 29 matches across all competitions.
He shone most in the league, netting 25 times in only 27 appearances and finished as second highest goalscorer behind Sampdoria forward Sergio Brighenti with Juventus winning their second Serie A title in a row.
However, hot on Sivori’s heels for the 1961 Ballon d’Or crown was Spanish midfielder Luis Suarez, who moved from Barcelona to Inter Milan only days before the La Liga club were due to play in the European Cup final. Suarez deserved huge credit for helping drive Barca through the competition with his exquisite midfield play.
Yet in 1961, no other player stood out both domestically and for his country like Omar Sivori.
A Quiet And Unassuming Star
Sivori’s international performance in 1961 set him apart from all other Ballon d’Or rivals.
Whilst many of his fellow players had matched the Italian in terms of league success, the forward’s displays for his national side were exceptional.
Unbelievably, following a move from River Plate to Juventus in 1957, the Argentine football association decided to ban Sivori from playing for his country. Although quickly gaining Italian citizenship, it would be a further four years until Sivori finally made his debut for Italy in 1961.
The midfielder proved prolific in international football, scoring eight goals in five caps during the calendar year. He even netted in his first three games across the space of just 40 days and also struck during their FIFA World Cup 1962 qualification match vs Israel.
Sivori spent eight seasons at Juventus, winning eight honours and scoring 168 goals over 317 appearances for the Turin side. He remains fifth on a list of the Italian club’s all-time top scorers.
In 2004, the striker was named in Pele’s “FIFA 100” as one of the 125 greatest ever players, his 1961 Ballon d’Or success a testament to a man who sits amongst the finest midfielders of a generation.
1961 Ballon d’Or Top 20
| Rank | Name | Club(s) | Nationality | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Omar Sívori | Italy Juventus (Italy) | Italy | 46 |
| 2 | Luis Suárez | Spain Barcelona, Italy Internazionale (Spain) | Spain | 40 |
| 3 | Johnny Haynes | England Fulham | England | 22 |
| 4 | Lev Yashin | Soviet Union Dynamo Moscow (Soviet Union) | Soviet Union | 21 |
| 5 | Ferenc Puskás | Spain Real Madrid (Hungary) | Hungary | 16 |
| 6 | Alfredo Di Stéfano, Uwe Seeler | Spain Real Madrid, West Germany Hamburger SV (Spain, West Germany) | Spain, West Germany | 13 |
| 8 | John Charles | Italy Juventus (Wales) | Wales | 10 |
| 9 | Francisco Gento | Spain Real Madrid | Spain | 8 |
| 10 | José Águas | Portugal Benfica | Portugal | 5 |
| Bobby Charlton | England Manchester United (England) | England | ||
| Gyula Grosics | Hungary Tatabánya (Hungary) | Hungary | ||
| Gerhard Hanappi | Austria Rapid Wien (Austria) | Austria | ||
| Josef Masopust | Czechoslovakia Dukla Prague (Czechoslovakia) | Czechoslovakia | ||
| José Santamaría | Spain Real Madrid | Spain | ||
| Dragoslav Šekularac | Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Red Star Belgrade (Yugoslavia) | Yugoslavia | ||
| 17 | Danny Blanchflower | England Tottenham Hotspur (Northern Ireland) | Northern Ireland | 4 |
| Germano | Portugal Benfica | Portugal | ||
| Kurt Hamrin | Italy Fiorentina (Sweden) | Sweden | ||
| Mikheil Meskhi | Soviet Union Dinamo Tbilisi (Soviet Union) | Soviet Union | ||
| Viktor Ponedelnik | Soviet Union SKA Rostov-on-Don (Soviet Union) | Soviet Union | ||
| Horst Szymaniak | West Germany Karlsruher SC, Italy Catania (West Germany) | West Germany |
Trivia
Omar Sívori was sensational for his former nation Argentina, when as a 21-year old he scored six goals on his country’s way to their 1956 Panamerican Championship triumph – victorious over some of the best North, Central and South America sides of the 1950’s.
Luis Suárez scored four goals for Barcelona in Europe as the Spanish side advanced to the 1961 European Cup final before he spectacularly moved to Inter Milan just days before the competition’s showpiece.
Johnny Haynes is Fulham’s second all-time top scorer with 158 goals for the London club behind only Welsh forward Gordon Davies with 178 strikes.
