Who received the "Golden Ball": the list of the best players of the planet

The main award for any football player is his team achievements - championships, cups, medals. However, every athlete dreams of becoming the best in the world. In football, this individual prize is called the "Golden Ball". It is awarded annually to the best players of the world for personal achievements and a successful season in all tournaments. And who received the "Golden Ball" and for what achievements, will help to know the detailed review.

Historical reference

The award entitled "Golden Ball" is awarded annually to the best football player of the world. The winners of the prize can be players from all corners of the Earth. Initially, the award was conceived only for players with European roots. However, in the end, the "Golden Ball" was given without any ethnic restrictions.

The first award ceremony was dated 1956. Then the reward deservedly fell to the striker of "Blackpool" legendary Stanley Mathews. It should be noted that for a long time the chairman of the jury was the founder of the prize, Frenchman Gabriel Hanaud. Up to 1995, the statuette was presented only to Europeans, so the idols of millions of Pele and Maradona were never received. The first non-European football player from those who received the "Golden Ball", was a cult African forward George Wea. At that time he enchanted in the ranks of the Italian "Milan".

Since the mid-2000s, the voting members of the jury have grown from 52 to 96 journalists from France Football. In 2010, the award went under the patronage of FIFA. Now the prize is called the "Golden Ball of FIFA". The first owner was Lionel Messi.

Three-time winners of the award

In the history of the award there were many great football players. But those who received more "Golden Balls" are worthy of separate praise and honors. One of them was the Dutch striker Johan Cruyff. He won nominations in 1971, 1973 and 1974. Successfully played for "Barcelona" and "Ajax". For a long time he remained the best goledor in the Dutch national team. At the moment he is the sports director of the Mexican "Guadalajara".

The second player who received the Golden Ball three times is Michel Platini. On his account rewards from 1983 to 1985. Without exaggeration, we can say that Platini is the best midfielder in France in the 1980s. In those golden times for himself, the player played for Turin's Juventus. Since 2007, the Frenchman is the president of UEFA. Another famous striker, who received the Golden Ball 3 times, was the former Dutch striker Ajax and Milan, named Marco van Basten. He became the winner of the prize in 1988, 1989 and 1992. He entered the top ten players in the history of Dutch football. Today he trains the "AZ" club as a senior assistant.

Two-time winners of the award

Of the players who received the "Golden Ball" twice, clearly stands out Alfredo Di Stefano. This football player posthumously topped the list of the best in the Hall of Fame FIFA. In different years from the 1940s to the 1960s he was the leader of such teams as River Plait, Real Madrid and many others. In honor of the Argentine in the stadium "Santiago Bernabeu" is a monument.

Each of the players who received two awards, worthy of his line in the Hall of Fame FIFA. No exception is Franz Beckenbauer. Defender of the Munich "Bavaria" for a long time, and captained in the club and in the team of Germany.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge - one of the best forwards of German football in its history. In his arsenal of victory in the Cup of Champions, the 1980s and silver mundialey 1982 and 1986.

Kevin Keegan twice in a row was awarded the highest individual football award. The golden years for the Englishman were in the late 1970s. The youngest ex-football player, who has two "Golden Balls" in his pocket, is Brazilian Ronaldo. Forward for club career pounded about 300 balls. For the teams of different ages scored 90 goals.

Holders of the Golden Ball

The highest award from 1956 to 2010, once, 35 players received. The overwhelming majority of them represent Europe and local championships. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Frenchman Raymond Kopa, the Spaniard Luis Suarez, the Italians Omar Sivori and Gianni Rivera, the Englishman Bobby Charlton, the Hungarian Florian Albert, the Irishman George Best and others received the award. In 1963, Lev Yashin became the laureate of the award. He still remains the only goalkeeper - the owner of the "Golden Ball".

In the 1970s and 1980s, the prize was awarded to Gerd Muller, Paolo Rossi, Rud Gullit. It is worth noting the presence in the list of two representatives of the USSR - Oleg Blokhin and Igor Belanov. In subsequent years, Lothar Matthaus, Hristo Stoichkov, Pierre Papin, Matiass Zamer, Rivaldo, Zynadin Zidane, Ronaldinho, Pavel Nedved, Kaka, Michael Owen, Andriy Shevchenko, and others won the award. The player who received the last "Golden Ball" of France Football, Was Lionel Messi (2009).

A new era is a new prize

"The golden ball of FIFA" is awarded to the best players of the planet, starting from the season 2010/2011. Over the past 5 years, the prize went to only two players. In 2010, three representatives of Barcelona competed for the award: Messi, Iniesta and Xavi. The votes were divided, but Lionel won with a small margin. Next year, the prize also went to the Argentine striker. This time he was ahead of Ronaldo and Xavi. 2012 was marked by the devastating and almost unanimous victory of Lionel Messi over Iniesta and his Portuguese counterpart from Madrid's Real Madrid Cristiano.

The situation changed when the Golden Ball 2013 prize draw came. Who received the prize for the best player of the year? In the fight involved Messi, Ribery and Ronaldo. The majority was elected last. Thus, for the first time Cristiano received a statuette of FIFA.

Who received the Golden Ball 2014

In 2014, the struggle was even more fierce. For the award claimed Ronaldo, Messi and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, spent a brilliant year for the team.

The chances for victory were almost equal. Lionel came with the "Argentina" to the finals mundialya and, as always, brilliantly played for the club. Cristiano spent for Real Madrid a phenomenal season, winning the Champions League. Neuer repeatedly saved the German national team, thanks to which the team won a confident victory at the 2014 World Cup. The choice before the experts was extremely difficult. So who got the Golden Ball of 2014?

According to preliminary estimates, the favorite was Neuer. However, in fact, a confident victory won Cristiano Ronaldo, ahead of competitors in the votes exactly 2 times.

Statistics by countries and clubs

If you take the "Golden Balls" in the overall version of the French edition and FIFA, then the country in the ranking is Germany. Seven figurines - this is how many times the Germans became the best football players in the world. In all, there were 5 winners. On the second place is Holland also with 7 awards, but here the awards brought only 3 footballers of the country. Next are: France - 6 figurines, Italy, England and Brazil - 5, Argentina and Portugal - 4, etc. In the USSR and Russia there are 3 prizes.

In the same ranking among clubs, the first position has long been assigned to "Barcelona". Eight of its players in different years won 12 awards. Next comes Juventus with 9 statues, Milan 8, Real Madrid 7, Bayern 5, Manchester Utd 4 and etc. It is noteworthy that the list includes the Moscow Dynamo And once a strong club "Ferencvaros".

Voting for the Golden Ball 2015

Who has received this award, at the moment is unknown. So far, experts have identified an expanded list of participants in the award. Among the football players-nominees there are both familiar and new faces. Among the main contenders again appear Messi and Ronaldo. Today they have no equal.

It is worth noting, the final poll to determine the winner of the award has not yet begun, as long as the seasons are not over. Nevertheless, in the global network there were already rumors about the award "Golden Ball 2015": who received the statuette and how many received votes. You should not believe such news. FIFA refutes this information.