Ballon d'Or Trivia
The Ballon d'Or award is an annual football award for the best player over the previous year.
the Ballon d'Or trophy being held aloft Men's Award
- "Ballon d'Or" is French for "Golden Ball".
- The men's Ballon d'Or award was first awarded in 1956, won by English player Stanley Matthews.
- The inaugural winner Stanley Matthews was 41 years and 10 months old when he won the award, making him the oldest winner ever. The second oldest winner is Lionel Messi, who was 36 years and 4 months when he won his record 8th Ballon d'Or in 2023.
- In 1958, Raymond Kopa was the first Frenchman to win the award.
- The first three placegetters in 1972 were German.
- Russian goalkeeper Lev Yashin in 1963 became the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or award. Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff was second in 1973.
- George Weah from Liberia was the first non-European and first African national team player to win the award in 1995.
- Franz Beckenbauer is the only defender in football history to win the Ballon d'Or twice (1972 and 1976)
- Brazilian Ronaldo is the youngest ever player to win the Ballon d'Or, he was only 21 years and 96 days when he won in 1997. He also became the first South American winner in 1997.
- On the list of finalists in 1998 were two sets of brothers: Frank and Ronald De Boers, and Brian and Michael Laudrups.
- The first six places in 2012 were for players playing in Spain.
- Due to the disruption to world sport in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, there was no award given in 2020.
- Lionel Messi has won the men's Ballon d'Or award a record eight times, his last in 2023 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 & 2023). The next best is Cristiano Ronaldo who has won the award five times. Between them, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo won 13 of the 15 Ballon d’Ors between 2008 and 2023.
- The most consecutive wins is four, by Messi between 2009 and 2012.
- Messi is also the only player to win a Ballon d'Or in three different decades.
- Messi is the only player in history to win the Ballon d'Or with three different teams, and also the only player to win it while playing outside Europe. Messi won the 2023 award while playing for MLS team Inter Miami.
- Messi had donated all of his Ballon d'Or awards to the to the BFC Barcelona Museum. They are on display alongside the rest of Messi's achievements, including two Golden Ball awards.
- Two Spanish clubs, Barcelona and Real Madrid, have produced the most winners, with 12 wins each. Consequently, Spain's La Liga has the most Ballon d'Or winners. (including 2024 results)
- Only three times has the Top 3 included players of the same nationality, in 1972 and 1981 (West Germany), and 1988 (The Netherlands).
- In 2024 the men's and women's Ballon d'Or were awarded to players from the same country, Rodri and Aitana Bonmatí are both Spanish. Also, the Kopa Trophy was won by Spaniard Lamine Yamal.
Women's Award
- In 2018, the first women's Ballon d'Or award was presented (called the Ballon d'Or Féminin), won by Ada Hegerberg of Norway.
- Two players were nominated for the Ballon d'Or in every edition from its inception until 2023, Australian Sam Kerr and French player Wendie Renard. Neither were nominated in 2024.
- There have been two two-time winners of the women's Ballon d'Or, Alexia Putellas in 2021 and 2022, and Aitana Bonmati in 2023 and 2024.
Related Pages
- Ballon d'Or Firsts
- Ballon d'Or Home
- Men's Ballon d'Or Winner's List
- Ballon d'Or Winners (who has won the most times)
- Football Awards Lists
- Ballon d'Or Quiz
- See also the list of the FIFA male player of the year and FIFA female player of the year.
- History of the Ballon d'Or
- More sporting trivia
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