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Golden Ball Winners and the FIFA World Cup
| FIFA World Cup winners are a rare 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 the big-name winners of the Ballon d'Or, a winner has never been able to go on to capture the FIFA World Cup the following year for his country. 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, with an equivalent jinx, also shown. |
| 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 | - | - | - |
| 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 | - | - | - |
| 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 |
| 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 |
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