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As with every final in the tournament’s history, the world will come to a standstill to find out who will lift the trophy.
Whatever the result, one thing is certain: there will be nominees for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ among the champions.
Spain has seven nominees in its squad, including Rodri, winner of the award in 2024.
Argentina, meanwhile, has five nominees in its squad, including – of course – Lionel Messi, who has won the award a record eight times.
Even so, it’s impossible to know how many of these stars will actually be on the pitch for the final.
This got us thinking: which World Cup final featured the highest number of ‘Ballon d'Or’ nominees and winners at the same time?
To answer this question, we’ve ranked all World Cup finals from the fewest to the most nominees, taking into account only the players who actually took to the pitch. In doing so, we’ve worked out what percentage of the players present in each final had previously been nominated for – or even won – the ‘Ballon d'Or’.
Now, it’s time to see which final takes the crown.
15th place – 1930, 1934, 1938 and 1950
As the first ‘Ballon d'Or’ ceremony was not held until 1956, none of the players who took part in the first four World Cup finals – played before that – were ever nominated for or won the award.
Summary: none of the players who took to the pitch in the 1930, 1934, 1938 and 1950 finals were nominated for or won the Ballon d'Or.
14th place – 1970
Led by the legendary Mário Zagallo, Brazil won their third World Cup title in 1970 with one of the greatest national teams in history. The squad featured Pelé – in his final World Cup – as well as stars such as Carlos Alberto, Gérson, Jairzinho, Rivellino and Tostão.
In the final, the Seleção dominated Italy and won 4–1. However, as players from outside Europe were only eligible for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award from 1995 onwards, none of these Brazilian legends were nominated for the prize.
Italy, on the other hand, had five players who had previously been nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ and one winner: Gianni Rivera, who came on only in the final minutes of the final, replacing Roberto Boninsegna, who had scored the Azzurri’s only goal of the match.
Ballon d'Or nominees and winners in the 1970 final:
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Brazil: none
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Italy: Angelo Domenghini, Giacinto Facchetti, Gianni Rivera, Gigi Riva and Sandro Mazzola
Summary: 5 of the 24 players who took to the pitch in the 1970 final (21 per cent) were nominated for or won the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award.
13th place – 1962
The 1962 World Cup final featured just 22 players on the pitch, as substitutions were only permitted in the tournament from 1970 onwards.
With a 3–1 victory over Czechoslovakia, Brazil claimed their second World Cup title, just four years after lifting the trophy for the first time. The Brazilian squad was packed with legends, such as Pelé, Djalma Santos, Nílton Santos, Didi, Vavá, Mário Zagallo and Garrincha. However, as South American players were not yet eligible for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ at that time, none of them were ever nominated for the award.
Czechoslovakia, on the other hand, had five players who received nominations for the ‘Ballon d'Or’, including midfielder Josef Masopust, who won the award that same year.
Ballon d'Or nominees and winners in the 1962 final:
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Brazil: none
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Czechoslovakia: Andrej Kvašňák, Josef Masopust, Ladislav Novák, Svatopluk Pluskal and Viliam Schrojf
Summary: 5 of the 22 players who took to the pitch in the 1962 final (23 per cent) were nominees for or winners of the ‘Ballon d'Or’.
12th place – 1954, 1978 and 1994
Next, we have a tie between the 1954, 1978 and 1994 finals.
West Germany’s 3–2 victory over Hungary in 1954 marked the first World Cup final to feature players who would go on to be nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’. This was because the award was only established two years later, when many of the key players from that final were still at the peak of their careers.
In total, two West German players and four Hungarian players were nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ at some point, although none went on to win the award.
The standout performer in the final was Helmut Rahn, a two-time nominee for the ‘Ballon d'Or’, who scored two goals and provided an assist to lead Germany’s comeback and secure the country’s first World Cup title.
Ballon d'Or nominees and winners in the 1954 final:
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West Germany: Helmut Rahn and Max Morlock
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Hungary: Ferenc Puskás, Gyula Grosics, József Bozsik and Sándor Kocsis
Summary: Six of the 22 players who took to the pitch in the 1954 final (27 per cent) were nominees for or winners of the ‘Ballon d'Or’.
The 1978 final, won by Argentina 3–1 against the Netherlands after extra time, also featured a high concentration of players nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’. However, as South American players were not yet eligible for the award, the Argentine champions – who boasted stars such as Mario Kempes and Daniel Passarella – had no players nominated.
On the other hand, Ernst Happel’s Netherlands side featured seven players who were nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’, including the twin brothers Willy and René van de Kerkhof.
Ballon d'Or nominees and winners in the 1978 final:
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Argentina: none
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Netherlands: Arie Haan, Johan Neeskens, Johnny Rep, René van de Kerkhof, Rob Rensenbrink, Ruud Krol and Willy van de Kerkhof
Summary: 7 of the 26 players who took to the pitch in the 1978 final (27 per cent) were nominated for or won the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award.
The 1994 World Cup final ended in a goalless draw and had to be decided on penalties – the first time in history that this had happened.
It was during this penalty shoot-out that Roberto Baggio, winner of the ‘Ballon d'Or’ and considered by many to be the best player of that tournament, missed his spot-kick, allowing Brazil to win their fourth World Cup title.
As well as Baggio, Italy had several other players who were nominated for the Ballon d'Or.
The final took place a year before non-European players became eligible for the Ballon d'Or, so only two players from the Brazilian squad – Bebeto and Cafu – were nominated for the award, whilst legendary figures such as Cláudio Taffarel, Aldair, Branco, Dunga and Romário were left out.
Ballon d'Or nominees and winners in the 1994 final:
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Brazil: Bebeto and Cafu
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Italy: Dino Baggio, Franco Baresi, Gianluca Pagliuca, Paolo Maldini and Roberto Baggio
Summary: 7 of the 26 players who took to the pitch in the 1994 final (27 per cent) were either nominated for or won the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award.
11th place – 1958 and 1990
We have another tie, this time between the 1958 and 1990 finals.
In the 1958 final, a 17-year-old Pelé shone in the 5–2 victory over Sweden, which gave Brazil its first World Cup title.
As we have already seen, although the Brazilian national team boasted a historic generation of stars, none of its players were nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’, as players from outside Europe were not yet eligible for the award.
The Swedes, however, had seven Ballon d'Or nominees in their squad – the only time the Scandinavian side reached a World Cup final.
Ballon d'Or nominees and winners in the 1958 final:
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Brazil: none
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Sweden: Agne Simonsson, Bengt Gustavsson, Gunnar Gren, Kurt Hamrin, Lennart Skoglund, Nils Liedholm and Orvar Bergmark
Summary: 7 of the 22 players who took to the pitch in the 1958 final (32 per cent) were nominated for or won the ‘Ballon d'Or’.
Just as was the case with Brazil in 1958, the Argentine players who featured in the 1990 final were also ineligible for the ‘Ballon d'Or’.
On that day, West Germany won 1–0 to claim their third World Cup title. The German squad included eight nominees for the ‘Ballon d'Or’, amongst them Lothar Matthäus, who would go on to win the award just a few months later.
It is worth noting an interesting detail: although managers are not included in this tally, the winning manager was none other than Franz Beckenbauer, who, as a player, was nominated for the Ballon d'Or 12 times and won the award on two occasions.
Nominees and winners of the ‘Ballon d'Or’ for the 1990 final:
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West Germany: Andreas Brehme, Guido Buchwald, Jürgen Klinsmann, Jürgen Kohler, Lothar Matthäus, Pierre Littbarski, Rudi Völler and Thomas Häßler
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Argentina: none
Summary: 8 of the 25 players who took to the pitch in the 1990 final (32 per cent) were either nominees for or winners of the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award.
10th place – 2018
France won their second World Cup title in 2018, twenty years after their first, by defeating Croatia 4–2 in the final.
The final was a star-studded affair. For France, Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba found the net. On the Croatian side, Ivan Perišić and Mario Mandžukić also made their mark.
Many of the other key players in that final were also nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award, including Croatian captain Luka Modrić, whose historic campaign in leading his country to the final was rewarded with the award later that year.
And it wasn’t just the players. French manager Didier Deschamps had also been nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ five times during his playing career.
Ballon d'Or nominees and winners from the 2018 final:
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France: Antoine Griezmann, Hugo Lloris, Kylian Mbappé, N’Golo Kanté, Paul Pogba and Raphaël Varane
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Croatia: Ivan Rakitić, Luka Modrić and Mario Mandžukić
Summary: 9 of the 27 players who took to the pitch in the 2018 final (33 per cent) were nominees for or winners of the ‘Ballon d'Or’.
9th place – 1986
As Argentine players were not yet eligible for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ in 1986, the winning team had no nominees for the award.
West Germany, on the other hand, had nine players who had been nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’, meaning that 36 per cent of the players who took to the pitch in the final had received at least one nomination.
Among the team’s standout players were two winners of the award: Lothar Matthäus and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. On the bench, the Germans were still led by Franz Beckenbauer, a Ballon d'Or legend and 1974 World Cup winner as a player.
Ballon d'Or nominees and winners in the 1986 final:
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Argentina: none
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West Germany: Andreas Brehme, Felix Magath, Hans-Peter Briegel, Harald Schumacher, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Karlheinz Förster, Klaus Allofs, Lothar Matthäus and Rudi Völler
Summary: 9 of the 25 players who took to the pitch in the 1986 final (36 per cent) were nominated for or won the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award.
8th place – 2022
Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina and Didier Deschamps’ France staged one of the most thrilling World Cup finals of all time in Qatar.
Lionel Messi, an eight-time winner of the Ballon d'Or, led Argentina to a 2–0 lead. But Kylian Mbappé, an eight-time nominee for the award, scored twice in the space of a few minutes to take the match into extra time.
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In the final minutes of the match, both stars found the net once more. Mbappé completed a hat-trick and became only the second player in history to score three goals in a World Cup final.
The match went to a penalty shoot-out. Mbappé converted his spot-kick – scoring for the fourth time against Emiliano Martínez, a two-time winner of the Yashin Trophy and voted the best goalkeeper of that World Cup.
Nevertheless, Argentina converted all their penalties and claimed their third World Cup title.
Ballon d'Or nominees and winners in the 2022 final:
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Argentina: Alexis Mac Allister, Ángel Di María, Emiliano Martínez, Julián Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez, Lionel Messi and Paulo Dybala
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France: Antoine Griezmann, Hugo Lloris, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Randal Kolo Muani and Raphaël Varane
Summary: 13 of the 35 players who took to the pitch in the 2022 final (37 per cent) were nominees for or winners of the ‘Ballon d'Or’.
7th place – 2014
Messi also played in the 2014 World Cup final, but on that occasion, Argentina finished as runners-up. A goal from Mario Götze in extra time secured a 1–0 victory and Germany’s fourth – and, to date, most recent – World Cup title.
Even with Messi – who by that time had already been nominated eight times for the Ballon d'Or and won the award on four occasions – it was the German national team that boasted the most players nominated for the award. Many of them were key figures in their title-winning campaign.
Ballon d'Or nominees and winners in the 2014 final:
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Germany: Bastian Schweinsteiger, Manuel Neuer, Mario Götze, Mats Hummels, Mesut Özil, Miroslav Klose, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Müller and Toni Kroos
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Argentina: Gonzalo Higuaín, Javier Mascherano, Lionel Messi and Sergio Agüero
Summary: 13 of the 28 players who took to the pitch in the 2014 final (46 per cent) were nominees for or winners of the ‘Ballon d'Or’.
6th place – 2002
The first final on our list in which more than half the players on the pitch were nominated for or won the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award was the match between Brazil and Germany at the Yokohama International Stadium in Japan in 2002.
Brazil secured their fifth World Cup title thanks to Ronaldo, a two-time winner of the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award, who finished the tournament as top scorer with eight goals. Two of those were scored in the final itself, against Oliver Kahn, who was nominated for the award and considered the world’s best goalkeeper at the time.
Although it does not top this ranking, the 2002 final holds a unique place in the history of the ‘Ballon d'Or’: it was the only World Cup final in which a team started the match with three winners of the award in their starting line-up – Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho.
Germany also had several nominees in their squad and were managed by Rudi Völler, who received six nominations during his playing career.
Ballon d'Or nominees and winners in the 2002 final:
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Brazil: Cafu, Denílson, Edmílson, Juninho Paulista, Lúcio, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo
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Germany: Bernd Schneider, Christian Ziege, Miroslav Klose, Oliver Bierhoff and Oliver Kahn
Summary: 14 of the 27 players who took to the pitch in the 2002 final (52 per cent) were either nominated for or won the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award.
5th place – 2010
The 2010 World Cup final was only decided in extra time. After more than 110 minutes without a goal, Cesc Fàbregas found Andrés Iniesta, who struck with his right foot to beat goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg and secure Spain’s first-ever World Cup title.
Both Fàbregas and Iniesta were nominated for the Ballon d'Or, as were several other key players from the Spanish campaign, although none of them went on to win the award.
For the Netherlands, the defeat was yet another painful chapter. The team reached their third World Cup final, but once again had to settle for runners-up.
Even so, the Dutch team also boasted several star players who were nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award.
Ballon d'Or nominees and winners in the 2010 final:
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Spain: Andrés Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Cesc Fàbregas, David Villa, Fernando Torres, Gerard Piqué, Iker Casillas, Sergio Busquets, Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso and Xavi
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Netherlands: Arjen Robben, Mark van Bommel, Rafael van der Vaart, Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder
Summary: 16 of the 28 players who took to the pitch in the 2010 final (57 per cent) were nominated for or won the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award.
4th place – 1966 and 1998
We have another tie. And, speaking of teams winning their first World Cup title, that is exactly what England did in 1966, beating Germany 4–2 after extra time in front of their home crowd at Wembley Stadium.
The final was a thrilling affair from start to finish, but the star of the show was Geoff Hurst, who became the first player in history to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. To this day, only Kylian Mbappé, in 2022, has managed to repeat that feat.
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The final also featured several players who had been nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’, and each team had a winner of the award on the pitch: Bobby Charlton for England and Franz Beckenbauer for Germany.
Ballon d'Or nominees and winners in the 1966 final:
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England: Alan Ball, Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Gordon Banks, Jack Charlton and Martin Peters
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Germany: Franz Beckenbauer, Helmut Haller, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, Uwe Seeler, Willi Schulz and Wolfgang Overath
Summary: 13 of the 22 players who took to the pitch in the 1966 final (59 per cent) were either nominees for or winners of the ‘Ballon d'Or’.
The 1998 World Cup final between France and Brazil also featured a majority of ‘Ballon d'Or’ nominees on the pitch – 59 per cent, exactly the same as the 1966 final.
Both teams arrived at the Stade de France amid high expectations. Brazil were defending the title they had won four years earlier, but were ultimately severely affected by the crisis surrounding Ronaldo, who suffered a seizure just a few hours before the match. Even so, the striker decided to take to the pitch.
The Brazilian national team performed well below expectations and were eventually defeated 3–0 by France, who won their first World Cup.
The star of that campaign, Zinedine Zidane, scored two goals in the final and, months later, won the Ballon d'Or.
Ballon d'Or nominees and winners in the 1998 final:
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France: Bixente Lizarazu, Christian Karembeu, Didier Deschamps, Emmanuel Petit, Fabien Barthez, Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, Patrick Vieira, Youri Djorkaeff and Zinedine Zidane
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Brazil: Bebeto, Cafu, Denílson, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo
Summary: 16 of the 27 players who took to the pitch in the 1998 final (59 per cent) were nominated for or won the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award.
3rd place – 1974
The 1974 World Cup final pitted the legendary Dutch ‘Clockwork Orange’ against the mighty West Germany.
Led by Johan Cruyff, a three-time Ballon d’Or winner, the Dutch ‘golden generation’ captivated the world with their revolutionary ‘Total Football’. On the other side, however, stood an equally historic German side, led by two legends of the award: Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller.
The Netherlands took the lead early on, with a penalty converted by Johan Neeskens. But Germany fought back, turned the score around to 2–1 and claimed their second World Cup title, dashing the Netherlands’ dream of a first title.
Ballon d'Or’s nominees and winners for the 1974 final:
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West Germany: Berti Vogts, Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Jürgen Grabowski, Paul Breitner, Rainer Bonhof, Sepp Maier, Uli Hoeneß and Wolfgang Overath
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Netherlands: Arie Haan, Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Johnny Rep, René van de Kerkhof, Rob Rensenbrink, Ruud Krol and Willem van Hanegem
Summary: 17 of the 24 players who took to the pitch in the 1974 final (71 per cent) were nominated for or won the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award.
2nd place – 1982
The 1982 World Cup final between Italy and West Germany brought together two teams brimming with star players. Both sides featured several players who had previously been nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’, as well as one winner of the award in each team: Paolo Rossi for Italy and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for West Germany.
Rossi, who would also go on to win the ‘Ballon d'Or’ a few months later, paved the way for Italy’s victory by scoring one of the goals in their 3–1 win.
With this result, the Azzurri claimed their third World Cup title and ended a 44-year wait to lift the trophy.
Ballon d'Or line-ups and scorers in the 1982 final:
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Italy: Alessandro Altobelli, Antonio Cabrini, Bruno Conti, Dino Zoff, Francesco Graziani, Franco Causio, Gaetano Scirea, Marco Tardelli and Paolo Rossi
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West Germany: Hans-Peter Briegel, Hansi Müller, Harald Schumacher, Horst Hrubesch, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Karlheinz Förster, Klaus Fischer, Manfred Kaltz, Paul Breitner, Pierre Littbarski and Uli Stielike
Summary: 20 of the 26 players who took to the pitch in the 1982 final (77 per cent) were nominated for or won the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award.
1st place – 2006
The 2006 World Cup final between France and Italy was only the second final in the tournament’s history to be decided on penalties, following a 1–1 draw after extra time.
Zinedine Zidane, World Cup champion and winner of the ‘Ballon d'Or’ in 1998, opened the scoring for France in the opening minutes, but Marco Materazzi levelled the score for Italy shortly afterwards.
The Azzurri eventually came out on top in the penalty shoot-out and claimed their fourth World Cup title, after David Trezeguet missed his spot-kick. But the final was marked above all by the incident involving Zidane, who was sent off for headbutting Materazzi.
Aside from the drama, the match also attracted attention due to the number of star players on the pitch.
Both teams had a Ballon d’Ballon d'Or winner: Zidane for France and Fabio Cannavaro for Italy. The Italian defender would, in fact, go on to win the award later that year, thanks mainly to his exceptional performances throughout the tournament.
Another striking detail: all 11 of France’s starting players in that final had been nominated for the Ballon d'Or at some point in their careers. To this day, it remains the only starting line-up in a World Cup final to have achieved this feat.
Ballon d'Or nominees and winners in the 2006 final:
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Italy: Alessandro Del Piero, Andrea Pirlo, Fabio Cannavaro, Fabio Grosso, Francesco Totti, Gennaro Gattuso, Gianluca Zambrotta, Gianluigi Buffon, Luca Toni and Mauro Camoranesi
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France: Claude Makélélé, David Trezeguet, Eric Abidal, Fabien Barthez, Florent Malouda, Franck Ribéry, Lilian Thuram, Patrick Vieira, Sylvain Wiltord, Thierry Henry, William Gallas, Willy Sagnol and Zinedine Zidane
Summary: 23 of the 28 players who took to the pitch in the 2006 final (82 per cent) were nominated for or won the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award.
So, that’s it.
The 2006 World Cup final remains the final with the highest number of ‘Ballon d'Or’ nominees and winners on the pitch in the tournament’s history.
Will this year’s final come close to that record?
We don’t yet know exactly which players will be on the pitch, but both Spain and Argentina boast several players who have previously been nominated for the award – as well as one winner each.
With so many star players on both sides, one thing is already certain: it’s going to be an incredible match.
