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Omar Sivori, 1962 – Group stage exit
At Chile ’62, the Juventus forward became the first reigning recipient of the Ballon d’Or to attend a World Cup. Four years prior the great Alfredo Di Stefano was a much-missed absentee after Spain surprisingly didn’t qualify.
In December 1961, Sivori collected his Ballon d’Or merit after firing Juve to back-to-back Serie A titles. Alas, six months later in South America, the feared frontman failed to make an impact, Italy exiting in the group stage.
Eusebio, 1966 – Semi-final, Golden Boot winner
Not only did o Rei (The King) win the Ballon d’Or in 1965. He finished runner-up in 1962 and 1966.
The Benfica legend was regarded by Di Stefano as the ‘best player of all time’ and justified that acclaim by converting nine goals in the summer of ’66, including a brace against Brazil and four struck in the quarter-finals.
In a celebrated semi against the host nation, Eusebio came up against his Ballon d’Or successor Bobby Charlton. The Englishman scored twice, Eusebio once, from the spot.
Gianni Rivera, 1970 – Losing finalist
The Italian playmaker was elegance personified and justly claimed the Ballon d’Or as the Sixties drew to a close. Many insist he is the finest talent the Peninsula has ever produced.
Months later, in sweltering Mexico, Rivera was orchestrator-in-chief of a fantastic Italy side who had the misfortune to encounter Brazil at their most vintage. He did, however, score an extra-time winner against West Germany in the semi-finals to decide a seven goal thriller.
Johan Cruyff, 1974 – Losing finalist
The Dutch master won the Ballon d’Or three times in the early-Seventies and went to the World Cup as the fulcrum to Total Football, a philosophy that rebelled against the very notion of a side having an axis, or structure. It was a paradox he managed to brush aside in the same nonchalant manner he routinely employed to ghost past inferior opponents.
A 180 degree spin at the tournament has gone down in legend and Cruyff was brilliant throughout that summer. Regrettably, the Netherlands’ inability to compromise undid them in the final against a pragmatic and ruthless West Germany.
Karl-Heinz Rummernigge, 1982 – Losing finalist
Allan Simonsen’s Denmark failed to qualify for World Cup ’78 so we jump to 1982, a period of time when the German two-time Ballon d’Or winner was undoubtedly the deadliest marksman in world football.
The Bayern forward went into the final level-pegging with Paolo Rossi for the Golden Boot. It was Rossi though who scored in the marquee event, as Italy ran out 3-1 winners.
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Michel Platini, 1986 – Semi-final exit
France travelled to Mexico as the Euro champions while Platini was at the peak of his considerable powers, bestowed with his third consecutive Ballon d’Or honour on Christmas Eve, 1985.
Pre-tournament it felt fated that Les Bleus would win an inaugural World Cup.
Only then news of the midfielder’s injury came to light. A groin strain. He could play, but in pain, and as a shadow of his usual self.
His genius was still enough to sustain France to the semi-finals, Platini scoring twice along the way.
Marco Van Basten, 1990 – Last 16 exit
A familiar theme begins to emerge here, with West Germany once again vanquishing the hopes of the then Euro champions and the reigning Ballon d’Or winner.
This time it was the Netherland’s turn to fall to Die Mannschaft, despite being blessed with Van Basten, the phenomenal forward in recent receipt of his second of three Golden Balls.
In truth, Oranje were poor across the tournament, misfiring from front to back.
Roberto Baggio, 1994 – Losing finalist
Baggio won the Silver Ball in the US, for a series of silky displays that guided Gli Azzurri to the final. A highlight was a beautiful arcing strike that downed Bulgaria in the last four.
An artist who painted luscious watercolours on the pitch it feels plain cruel that it was he who missed his penalty at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena. Perhaps it was a higher power reminding the ‘Divine Ponytail’ that he was mortal, after all.
Ronaldo, 1998 – Losing finalist, Golden Ball winner
Documentaries have been made and books written about the drama that preceded the 1998 World Cup final. First Ronaldo was omitted from the team-sheet, floored with a mystery illness/injury. Then he was back in.
In the event, the best player at the tournament that year – both in statue and performances – played but was a facsimile of the force of nature we had marvelled at to date.
Michael Owen, 2002 – Losing quarter-finalist
At France ’98, Owen had unveiled his blistering talent, scoring a sensational individual effort against Argentina.
Four years on, England were spearheaded by the reigning Ballon d’Or winner in South Korea/Japan, a highly prolific forward who couldn’t stop scoring for Liverpool in the Premier League.
Not even his elite finishing could prevent Brazil from progressing in a last eight clash best remembered for Ronaldinho’s ridiculous long-range winner.
Ronaldinho, 2006 – Losing quarter-finalist
The joy and ingenuity in Ronaldinho’s play was duly rewarded with the highest individual honour in the autumn of 2005. His 225 Ballon d’Or votes reflected a year’s worth of magic, including 15 assists in La Liga alone.
As one quarter of an attacking line-up labelled as ‘absurd’ by the BBC, Brazil were expected to excel in Germany. To a man, they did not.
Lionel Messi, 2010 – Losing quarter-finalist
With the first of a record-breaking nine Ballon d’Or awards presented to him in early December 2009, Messi travelled to South Africa with the eyes of the world on him.
Four years prior he has been the wonderkid. The youngest player to do this. The youngest to do that. Now he was a bona fide megastar; a 5ft 7 giant of the game with an international side build around his sublime ability.
La Albiceleste were cruising along nicely in the competition until they encountered a rampant Germany in the last eight. Messi was marked out of the game by Bastian Schweinsteiger in a one-sided affair.
Cristiano Ronaldo, 2014 – Group stage exit
Portugal were two years away from securing their first major tournament success at the Euros but in Brazil they were immediately undone, this despite being widely tipped beforehand as a serious ‘dark horse’.
In their opening fixture they were dismantled 4-0 by Germany while a subsequent draw with USNT left them needing a win over Ghana and a favour from elsewhere. They managed the first part at least but ultimately to no avail.
Cristiano Ronaldo, 2018 – Last 16 exit
Now in possession of five Ballon d’Or honours, and with a Euro Championship medal gleaming in his full-to-capacity trophy cabinet, Ronaldo was determined this time to inspire his nation to the biggest prize of them all. And to that end, he fulfilled his brief, scoring four goals in four matches as Seleção das Quinas navigated a tough group consisting of Spain, Morocco and Iran.
Once again though, Portugal flattered to deceive, exiting to Uruguay in their first knock-out commitment.
Karim Benzema, 2022 – Not available
Due to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar being played in the wintertime Benzema would have had the distinction of being the most recently crowned Ballon d’Or winner to take to the world stage, with just two months separating the announcement and the tournament.
As it was, cruelly, the striker succumbed to a muscle tear in his left thigh mere days before the competition began.
