If there’s one individual prize any soccer player wants to win, it’s the Ballon d’Or. Introduced in 1956, the award set out to recognize the best European player of the year, and it would be 40 long years before those from other continents were eligible to win. (Yes, we’ll give you two answers for free, Pelé and Diego Maradona won it!) For some, personal glory is actually more significant than what any team or country achieves—such is the prestige of the Ballon d’Or nowadays. Think you’re able to identify every player to have ever won it? See if you can name them all within the allotted time.
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So, how did you do? It’s certainly more straightforward to name the Ballon d’Or winners of the 21st Century, given there’s plenty of repeat winners and footage of these greats is widely accessible. If you enjoyed it and fancy another challenge, why don’t you have a crack at one of the quizzes below?
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Ballon d’Or Greats From Over the Years
Alfredo Di Stéfano: The staple of Real Madrid’s five European Cup victories in the 1950s and 1960s, Di Stéfano is fondly remembered as the club’s greatest ever player. A relentless goalscorer, he was the beating heart of the Spanish capital for over a decade, and is arguably one of the most recognizable names in the sport.
Johan Cruyff: ‘Total Football’ was the brainchild of the legendary Rinus Michels, but it would not have become what it did were it not for the brilliance of Cruyff. His genius led to three Ballon d’Or wins in the earlt 1970s, at a time when Dutch soccer transitioned into a global powerhouse.
Michel Platini: Nicknamed Le Roi (“The King”), Platini was one of the great players of the 1970s and 1980s. Loyal to the French game for the best part of a decade, his success came when he stepped out of the shadows to become a leading figure at Juventus, where he won three successive Ballons d’Or between 1983 and 1985.
Marco van Basten: The scorer of one of the greatest goals ever scored (yes, that volley), Van Basten’s career was tragically cut short by injury at the age of 30 (he played his last game at 28.) But he still found time to win a trio of Ballons d’Or, all of which came after he traded Ajax for Milan in 1987.
Cristiano Ronaldo: There has never been a fiercer sporting debate—certainly not one that has spanned 20 years—like Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi, who is better. Very different players but on a completely different level to everybody else, they monopolized the Ballon d’Or between 2008 and 2018, with Ronaldo coming out on top five times.
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