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Ballon d’Or: Why World Cup success does not guarantee coveted football prize
28th June, 2026 04:13 PM
As the 2026 World Cup enters its final stages, the race for the coveted Ballon d’Or accolade is set to dominate football discussion, with big-name players firing on all cylinders in the North American tournament.
Historically, the World Cup and the prestigious individual accolade have been closely intertwined, with many viewing a World Cup triumph as a necessity to be named the best player in the world.
Elite club
According to the history of the Ballon d’Or, however, while great international performances naturally increase a player’s chances of claiming the trophy, one does not absolutely have to win the World Cup to earn football’s most prestigious individual honour.
Over the years, many players have earned the honours after leading their teams or nations to success at the global championship.
Bobby Charlton (1966), Paolo Rossi (1982), and Lothar Matthäus (1990) all won the World Cup and the Ballon d’Or in the same year.
However, from 1995 onwards, the year the Ballon d’Or went global and was no longer reserved exclusively for Europeans, new trends would emerge.
In 1998, Zinédine Zidane continued the trend as the French winning team of Aime Jacquet, triumphant on home soil, saw the midfielder lift the Ballon d’Or shortly after.
Ronaldo joins elite club
Four years later (2005), Ronaldo followed suit by triumphing with Brazil. The talisman scored 8 goals (including a brace in the final against Germany) to secure the trophy for Brazil and finish as the tournament’s top scorer.
Adding to his second title from the one in 1997, when he made history as the youngest Ballon d’Or recipient with his first Ballon d’Or at just 21 years old, following a breathtaking, 47-goal season with Barcelona before transferring to Inter Milan.
Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro’s coronation in 2006 made it three times in a row and the final time when a world cup winner bagged the individual gong
Lionel Messi bagged the 2010 trophy, breaking the norm of World Cup winners after the FC Barcelona star edged out Spain’s midfield duo Andrés Iniesta and Xavi, despite their World Cup triumph.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the next winner in 2014; who won the Madeira-born superstar prevailed in the same fashion over Lionel Messi, a World Cup losing finalist, and Germany’s Manuel Neuer, the runner-up.
Messi did return to claim the 2023 Ballon d’Or, bringing to seven the number of players to have completed the double.
However, since 1995, only four out of seven have managed it, a 57% win rate.
