Holders of the "Golden Ball" - the best footballers in Europe

Every year, since 1956, the popular edition of France Football after the vote among the most authoritative sports publications presents the prize "Golden Ball". If before it was awarded only to the best players of Europe, now the player from any part of the world who is in favor of a European club can become the winner of the prize.

The best footballers of Europe

Until 1995, the holders of the "Golden Ball" could only be Europeans. Since 1995, the lists of laureates were allowed to include players of any nationality from other regions of the world playing for European clubs. The first athlete not from Europe, which was awarded this award, was in the same year, footballer, "Milan" George Wea. In 2007, the rules changed again: now people from Europe who are in favor of a club in any country of the world can join the list of holders of the "Golden Ball".

Poll conditions

The "Golden Ball" was established by Gabriel Hanaud. Being the editor of France Football, he proposed in 1956 to call his colleagues-journalists the best football player of the year in Europe.

If earlier in the questionnaire consisted of 50 players, there are currently only 23. Of them, reputable journalists who write about football choose the best player. The voter must choose five players, awarding each of them from 1 to 5 points. Holders of the "Golden Ball" - this is the athletes who scored the most points.

Those who occupied the second and third places were awarded with silver and bronze balls respectively. Since 2010, the organization of the survey, which determines the winner, together with France Football is engaged in FIFA.

Some statistics

For all time of existence of a prize it 35 times was handed over to attacking, 4 times the trophy was owned by defenders, 17 times - halfbacks. And only once the winner was recognized the goalkeeper - this is the best goalkeeper of the world Lev Yashin.

Seven times the owners of the "Golden Ball" were citizens of Germany and the Netherlands. Argentina would also have seven trophies, but only Leonel Messi, who wielded the prize four times, was a citizen of that country at the time of the award, and three more times (two by Di Stefano and one by Omar Sivori) were owned by Argentineans who changed their citizenship. Five times over his head raised the French, Italians, British, Brazilians. Three times the winners of the prize were representatives of the USSR: Oleg Blokhin, Lev Yashin and Igor Belanov.

Among clubs in terms of the number of prizes, Barcelona is leading: eight "Golden Balls". Juventus have seven of them, Milan have six, Real Madrid owned the Golden Ball five times.

Some holders of the "Golden Ball" received it several times. Most of the trophy was owned by Leonel Messi - four years in a row he was recognized as the best player. Three times he received the prize Michel Platini, and also in a row - during 1983-85. Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten were also awarded three times, but in different years.

Brazilian Ronaldo was the youngest player to win the Golden Ball: he was only 21 at the time of the prize. The age-old winner of the Golden Ball is Stanley Mathews, who received the prize in 41 years.

Currently, five trophy owners are no longer alive. From the list of winners, seven players continue to perform.