Stanley Matthews won the first ever Ballon d’Or in 1956, being one of only four Englishman to lift the iconic accolade ahead of Denis Law (1964), George Best (1968) along with Kevin Keegan twice in 1978 and 1979. At the age of 41 years and ten months, Matthews remains the oldest winner of the prize, … Read more
The 1972 Ballon d’Or saw a trio of Germans vying for football’s ultimate individual prize. In the process, Franz Beckenbauer became only the second West German national and Bayern Munich player to win the trophy following Gerd Müller in 1970. He was also the first defender to claim the Ballon d’Or since its inception in … Read more
In 1988, Netherlands forward Marco van Basten won the first of his three Ballon d’Or titles. He became only the third Dutch international to claim the award after Johan Cruyff in 1971, 1973 and 1974 along with Ruud Gullit the previous calendar year in 1987. Gullit claimed second place this time around with his international … Read more
Football has always had a spiritual and supernatural side, with jinxes, curses, and rituals integral to the game. While some may consider them mere folklore, others believe these tales hold some truth. In this article our guest author Aladár Kollár explores some of the world’s most famous football curses, including England’s international struggles, the curse … Read more
The Ballon d’Or is widely considered the pinnacle of individual achievement in football, with the award the football world’s Oscars. To call yourself a Ballon d’Or winner is an incredible achievement, with some of football’s greatest ever-eligible players never winning one. The likes of Ferenc Puskas, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Xavi and Paulo Maldini all … Read more
In 1958, Real Madrid forward Raymond Kopa was awarded the Ballon d’Or. He became the first French player to win the accolade with no other claiming the prize until fellow countryman Michel Platini in 1983. Kopa was the second Real Madrid star to lift the Ballon d’Or after Alfredo Di Stefano, with players from the … Read more
After an incredible 1980 season, that was twice as good as his best season prior to his first Ballon d’Or, he’d go on to improve even further. After 5 seasons of establishing himself, and gradually progressing, Rummenigge had hit his stride. The 1980 season that earned him a first Ballon d’Or saw him score 26 … Read more
Paolo Rossi’s 1982 Ballon d’Or win is a story of one man who overcame adversity and against all odds rose to the very top of world football. He became only the third Italian to win the award after Juventus’ Omar Sívori in 1961 and AC Milan midfielder Gianni Rivera eight years later. The manner in … Read more
The legendary George Best is considered one of the greatest footballers the game has ever witnessed. In 1968, he became Northern Ireland’s first winner of the Ballon d’Or and third Manchester United player to claim the trophy following Denis Law in 1964 and Bobby Charlton two years later. Still only 23-years old, Best had already … Read more
From an early age, the Italian media dubbed Milan’s attacking midfielder Gianni Rivera their nation’s “Golden Boy.” He joined Milan in 1960 as a 17-year-old and would go on to serve as the team’s captain for twelve seasons. Rivera enjoyed a highly successful career both domestically and in Europe, winning three Serie A titles and … Read more