BALLON D'OR DATA

Now that the World Cup is over, the same old rumour resurfaces: that the Ballon d’Or winner is always a World Cup winner. But is that really true?

Only 19 winners of the ‘Ballon d'Or’ have played even a single minute in a World Cup final in the history of the competition. Here are their names.

Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina and Luis de la Fuente’s Spain are set to face each other this Sunday in the 2026 Cup final.

41 years, 10 month, and 17 days. No one has ever been so old in earning their Ballon d'Or win, whether in the women's or men's category. But who holds this record? And what does the Top 5 look like?

Every year, a refrain comes back around the Ballon d'Or: the winner will more likely represent a European club. But has that always been true? We analyzed the data to find out.

17 years, 1 month, and 22 days. No one has ever been so precocious in earning their first Ballon d'Or nomination, whether in the women's or men's category. But who holds this record? And what does the Top 5 look like?

In 1995, the men's Ballon d'Or opened up to all nationalities, becoming a truly global award for the first time. Thirty years of nominations later, the numbers tell a fascinating story.