Everyone knows the Ballon d’Or, but fewer people know about the Super Ballon d’Or. Did you know there was ? It was in December 1989, already far away. The famous France Football magazine celebrated its 30th anniversary with a prize that was as special as it was little-known : the Super Ballon d’Or. And only one football player has won it in all of history.
What is the Super Ballon d’Or ?
This award aimed to recognize the best Ballon d’Or of all those who had won it until then since its creation at the end of the years 50. Platinum, Cruyff, Di Stéfano and many others were in the running to be the best of the best. Eventually, It’s Di Stéfano, the former Real Madrid star, who won this prestigious but unique award in history so far.
Since then, France Football has never again organized this type of event, except this honor of the Ballon d’Or received by Diego Armando Maradona in 1995 to celebrate the opening of the prize to non-European players (the Argentinian Di Stéfano also had Spanish nationality). The same year when the first and only African in history so far, George Weah, won it. The Liberian is undoubtedly one of the best African players in history.
Should they start awarding the Super Ballon d’Or again ?
Looking back at the last few years where Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo competed and shared all the Ballons d’Or awarded, should they consider recreating the Super Ballon d’Or ? Who would win ?
Should they give one to each since they are the two players who have won the award the most times in history ? Questions that, with the separation of the Ballon d’Or and FIFA The Best, don't seem to find an answer anytime soon.
Which footballer has the most Ballons d’Or ?
Leo Messi 8: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 , 2019, 2021 y 2023
Cristiano Ronaldo 5: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 y 2017
Johan Cruyff 3: 1971, 1973, 1974
Marco van Basten 3: 1988, 1989, 1992
Michael Platini 3: 1983, 1984, 1985
Franz Beckenbauer 2: 1972, 1976
Kevin Keegan 2: 1978, 1979
Ronaldo 2: 1997, 2002
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge 2: 1980, 1981
Alfredo Di Stefano 2: 1957, 1959
All Ballon d’Or winners
1956 – Stanley Matthews – Angleterre
1957 – Alfredo Di Stéfano – Spain
1958 – Raymond Kopa – France
1959 – Alfredo Di Stéfano – Spain
1960 – Luis Suárez – Spain
1961 – Omar Sívori – Italy
1962 – Josef Masopust – Czechoslovakia
1963 – Lev Yashin – Soviet Union
1964 – Denis Law – Scotland
1965 - Eusebio - Portugal
1966 – Bobby Charlton – England
1967 – Florian Albert – Hungary
1968 – George Best – Northern Ireland
1969 – Gianni Rivera – Italy
1970 – Gerd Muller – Germany
1971 – Johan Cruyff – Pays-Bas
1972 – Franz Beckenbauer – Allemagne
1973 – Johan Cruyff – Pays-Bas
1974 – Johan Cruyff – Pays-Bas
1975 – Oleg Blojin – Soviet Union
1976 – Franz Beckenbauer – Allemagne
1977 - Allan Simonsen - Denmark
1978 - Kevin Keegan - England
1979 - Kevin Keegan - England
1980 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge – Allemagne
1981 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge – Allemagne
1982 – Paolo Rossi – Italy
1983 – Michel Platini – France
1984 – Michel Platini – France
1985 – Michel Platini – France
1986 – Igor Belanov – Soviet Union
1987 – Ruud Gullit – Netherlands
1988 – Marco van Basten – Pays-Bas
1989 – Marco van Basten – Pays-Bas
1990 – Lothar Matthaus – Germany
1991 – Jean-Pierre Papin – France
1992 – Marco van Basten – Pays-Bas
1993 – Roberto Baggio – Italy
1994 – Hristo Stoichkov – Bulgaria
1995 – George Weah – Liberia
1996 – Matthias Sammer – Allemagne
1997 – Ronaldo – Brazil
1998 – Zinedine Zidane – France
1999 – Rivaldo – Brazil
2000 - Luis Figo - Portugal
2001 – Michael Owen – England
2002 – Ronaldo – Brazil
2003 – Pavel Nedved – Czech Republic
2004 – Andriy Shevchenko – Ukraine
2005 – Ronaldinho – Brazil
2006 – Fabio Cannavaro – Italy
2007 – Cocoa – Brazil
2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal
2009 – Lionel Messi – Argentine
2010 – Lionel Messi – Argentine
2011 – Lionel Messi – Argentine
2012 – Lionel Messi – Argentine
2013- Cristiano Ronaldo- Portugal
2014-Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
2015-Lionel Messi-Argentine
2016-Cristiano Ronaldo- Portugal
2017-Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
2018-Luka Modric-Croatie
2019-Leo Messi-Argentine
2020-Not awarded due to the coronavirus crisis
2021-Leo Messi-Argentine
2022-Karim Benzema
2023-Leo Messi-Argentine
Honorary Ballon d’Or
1995-Diego Armando Maradona-Argentine
2013-Pele-Brazil