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Golden Ball Winners and the FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup winners are an elite group. And European Player of the Year honors ("Ballon d'Or" or Golden Ball) winners are another rare group - only one player each year. But in spite of history's big-name winners of the Ballon d'Or, a reigning Ballon d'Or winner has never been able to go on to capture the FIFA World Cup. Over the entire history of the award since 1956, see the results below. Some are calling it the "jinx" or "curse" of the Golden Ball. The European Player of the Year announced at the end of the year has never gone on to win the World Cup the following year. By contrast, numerous World Cup winners have then succeeded in capturing the European Player of the Year honors for that same year. The FIFA World Player of the Year Award has been around since 1991, and the same holds true with this award - so far. The awards were merged in 2010 (then unmerged in 2016) - full results are shown in the table below.


Year World Cup Host World Cup Champion World Cup Golden Ball Ballon d'Or Winner (Europe)
Country (pink = jinx)

Club
FIFA World Player of the Year
Country (pink = jinx)

Club
1956 - - - Stanley Matthews England Blackpool - - -
1957 - - - Alfredo di Stefano Spain Real Madrid - - -
1958 Sweden Brazil - Raymond Kopa France Real Madrid - - -
1959 - - - Alfredo di Stefano Spain Real Madrid - - -
1960 - - - Luis Suarez Spain Barcelona - - -
1961 - - - Omar Sivori Italy Juventus - - -
1962 Chile Brazil - Josef Masopust Czech Dukla, Prague - - -
1963 - - - Lev Yashin USSR Dynamo Moscow - - -
1964 - - - Denis Law England Manchester United - - -
1965 - - - Eusebio Portugal Benfica of Lisbon - - -
1966 England England - Bobby Charlton England Manchester United - - -
1967 - - - Florian Albert Hungary Ferencvaros - - -
1968 - - - George Best Northern Ireland Manchester United - - -
1969 - - - Gianni Rivera Italy AC Milan - - -
Year World Cup Host World Cup Champion World Cup Golden Ball Ballon d'Or Winner (Europe)
Country (pink = jinx)

Club
FIFA World Player of the Year
Country (pink = jinx)

Club
1970 Mexico Brazil - Gerd Muller Germany Bayern Munich - - -
1971 - - - Johan Cruyff Netherlands Ajax Amsterdam - - -
1972 - - - Franz Beckenbauer West Germany Bayern Munich - - -
1973 - - - Johan Cruyff Netherlands Barcelona - - -
1974 West Germany West Germany - Johan Cruyff Netherlands Barcelona - - -
1975 - - - Oleg Blokhin USSR Dynamo Kiev - - -
1976 - - - Franz Beckenbauer West Germany Bayern Munich - - -
1977 - - - Allen Simonsen Denmark Borussia Moenchengladbach - - -
1978 Argentina Argentina - Kevin Keegan England Hamburger S.V. - - -
1979 - - - Kevin Keegan England Hamburger S.V. - - -
1980 - - - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge West Germany Bayern Munich - - -
1981 - - - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge West Germany Bayern Munich - - -
1982 Spain Italy Paolo Rossi Paolo Rossi Italy Juventus - - -
1983 - - - Michel Platini France Juventus - - -
1984 - - - Michel Platini France Juventus - - -
1985 - - - Michel Platini France Juventus - - -
1986 Mexico Argentina Diego Maradona Igor Belanov USSR Dynamo Kiev - - -
1987 - - - Ruud Gullit Netherlands AC Milan - - -
1988 - - - Marco Van Basten Netherlands AC Milan - - -
1989 - - - Marco Van Basten Netherlands AC Milan - - -
Year World Cup Host World Cup Champion World Cup Golden Ball Ballon d'Or Winner (Europe)
Country (pink = jinx)

Club
FIFA World Player of the Year
Country (pink = jinx)

Club
1990 Italy West Germany Salvatore Schillaci Lothar Matthaus West Germany Inter Milan - - -
1991 - - - Jean-Pierre Papin France Marseille Lothar Matthaus West Germany Inter Milan
1992 - - - Marco Van Basten Netherlands AC Milan Marco Van Basten Netherlands AC Milan
1993 - - - Roberto Baggio Italy Juventus Roberto Baggio Italy Juventus
1994 USA Brazil Romario Hristo Stoichkov Bulgaria Barcelona Romario Brazil Barcelona
1995 - - - George Weah Liberia AC Milan George Weah Liberia AC Milan
1996 - - - Matthias Sammer Germany Borussia Dortmund Ronaldo Brazil Barcelona
1997 - - - Ronaldo Brazil Inter Milan Ronaldo Brazil Inter Milan
1998 France France Ronaldo Zinedine Zidane France Juventus Zinedine Zidane France Juventus
1999 - - - Rivaldo Brazil Barcelona Rivaldo Brazil Barcelona
2000 - - - Luis Figo Portugal Real Madrid Zinedine Zidane France Juventus
Year World Cup Host World Cup Champion World Cup Golden Ball Ballon d'Or Winner (Europe)
Country (pink = jinx)

Club
FIFA World Player of the Year
Country (pink = jinx)

Club
2001 - - - Michael Owen England Liverpool Luis Figo Portugal Real Madrid
2002 Korea/Japan Brazil Oliver Kahn Ronaldo Brazil Real Madrid Ronaldo Brazil Real Madrid
2003 - - - Pavel Nedved Czech Republic Juventus Zinedine Zidane France Real Madrid
2004 - - - Andrei Shevchenko Ukraine AC Milan Ronaldinho Brazil Barcelona
2005 - - - Ronaldinho Brazil Barcelona Ronaldinho Brazil Barcelona
2006 Germany Italy Zinedine Zidane Fabio Cannavaro Italy Juventus / Real Madrid Fabio Cannavaro Italy Juventus / Real Madrid
2007 - - - Kaka Brazil AC Milan Kaka Brazil AC Milan
2008 - - - Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Manchester United Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Manchester United
2009 - - - Lionel Messi Argentina Barcelona Lionel Messi Argentina Barcelona
2010 South Africa Spain Diego Forlan Lionel Messi Argentina Barcelona <-- (See Ballon d'Or) - -
2011 - - - Lionel Messi Argentina Barcelona <-- (See Ballon d'Or) - -
2012 - - - Lionel Messi Argentina Barcelona <-- (See Ballon d'Or) - -
Year World Cup Host World Cup Champion World Cup Golden Ball Ballon d'Or Winner (Europe)
Country (pink = jinx)

Club
FIFA The Best Player
Country (pink = jinx)

Club
2013 - - - Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Real Madrid <-- (See Ballon d'Or) - -
2014 Brazil Germany Lionel Messi Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Real Madrid <-- (See Ballon d'Or) - -
2015 - - - Lionel Messi Argentina Barcelona <-- (See Ballon d'Or) - -
2016 - - - Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Real Madrid
2017 - - - Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Real Madrid
2018 Russia France Luka Modric Luka Modric Croatia Real Madrid Luka Modric Croatia Real Madrid
2019 - - - Lionel Messi Argentina Barcelona Lionel Messi Argentina Barcelona
2020 - - - (none - pandemic) - - Robert Lewandowski Poland Bayern Munich
2021 - - - Lionel Messi Argentina Paris Saint Germain Robert Lewandowski Poland Bayern Munich
2022 Qatar Argentina Lionel Messi Karim Benzema France Real Madrid Lionel Messi Argentina Paris Saint Germain
2023 - - - Lionel Messi Argentina Inter Miami Lionel Messi Argentina Inter Miami

The FIFA world player of the Year and European Ballon D'Or were merged beginning in 2010, when Lionel Messi won it for the 2nd straight year. FIFA then created The Best FIFA Player award for 2016, when Cristiano Ronaldo won it. The jinx was almost broken in 2022, when Messi (Ballon d'Or winner from 2021) followed it up with the World Cup victory for Argentina (Qatar 2022). But with the delayed start of the Qatar tournament (November), the reigning Ballon d'Or winner had already been awarded for 2022: Karim Benzema. And the jinx was in. Not only did Benzema fail to lead his team to victory, injury prevented him from even being selected for France in Qatar. And with the Final going into penalties, one wonders what might have been had he been available to play for France (and not been jinxed).



     Scores in the World Cup Final
     The Final Score on the Day they were Crowned Champion: 
           2022-- Argentina 3, France 3, Argentina won 4-2 on penalties
           2018-- France 4, Croatia 2
           2014-- Germany 1, Argentina 0, OT
           2010-- Spain 1, Netherlands 0, OT
           2006-- Italy 1, France 1, Italy won 5-3 on penalty kicks
           2002-- Brazil 2, Germany 0
           1998-- France 3, Brazil 0
           1994-- Brazil 0, Italy 0, Brazil won 3-2 on penalty kicks
           1990-- West Germany 1, Argentina 0
           1986-- Argentina 3, West Germany 2
           1982-- Italy 3, West Germany 1
           1978-- Argentina 3, Netherlands 1, OT
           1974-- West Germany 2, Netherlands 1
           1970-- Brazil 4, Italy 1
           1966-- England 4, West Germany 2, OT
           1962-- Brazil 3, Czechoslovakia 1
           1958-- Brazil 5, Sweden 2
           1954-- West Germany 3, Hungary 2
           1950-- Uruguay 2, Brazil 1
           1938-- Italy 4, Hungary 2
           1934-- Italy 2, Czechoslovakia 1, OT
           1930-- Uruguay 4, Argentina 2


In Latin America, the border between soccer and politics is vague. There is a long list of governments that have fallen or been overthrown after the defeat of the national team. - Luis Suarez - 1960 Spain






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