Ranking the 5 legendary South American footballers to win the Ballon d'Or
Winning the Ballon d'Or is one of the most memorable moments in the life of a footballer. In the history of this prestigious award, the European players have been a dominant force, winning it for the majority of time.
Ever since its introduction in 1956, the award was only for players from Europe. It went on until after which players of all origin were eligible to win it. AC Milan's George Weah was the first non-European to win the Ballon d'Or in 1995.
However, players like Pele, Diego Maradona, Garrincha, Mario Kempes and Romario were also named as winners after they were reconsidered as part of international revaluation over the years.
Some of the greatest South American players have won the Ballon d'Or
Over the years, the Ballon d'Or has been won by players of different origins. Although Lionel Messi has single-handedly contributed to the South American winners' list in the last decade and a half, there were other notable names before him.
In the past twenty years, South Americans have won the Ballon d'Or nine times. On that note, let's rank the top South American players to win the award:
Note: The aforementioned players who later won the award after international revaluation have not been considered on this list.
#5 Rivaldo
The left-footed Brazilian started his career in his native country. While playing for Palmeiras, Rivaldo impressed many and was offered the chance to sign for Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga.
He joined the Spanish side in the summer of 1996. After a productive first season, the Brazilian joined Barcelona from the very next campaign. With his scintillating dribbling, agility, flair, and amazing creative abilities, Rivaldo went on to become a sensational player for the Catalans.
A REMINDER:
Happy Birthday Rivaldo 🎂
A World Cup winner in 2002 he was named in the All Star team in both ‘98 and ‘02. In ‘99 he won the Ballon d’Or. A brilliant player! 🙌⚽️
🎥- @90sfootball
https://t.co/hov0obhVXr
In 1999, the attacker won the La Liga title with Barcelona, ending up as the second-highest goal-scorer with 24 goals. He won the Ballon d'Or in the same year, beating Manchester United's David Beckham by a margin of 65 points.
#4 Ronaldinho
There aren't many players in the world who look as magical as Ronaldinho with the ball at his feet. He's arguably one of the best dribblers the game has ever seen.
Like most Brazilians, Ronaldinho started his career in professional football with Gremio. In 2001, he joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Ligue 1 before signing for Barcelona in 2003. With the Spanish giants, the creative playmaker spent five memorable seasons.
Ronaldinho 🇧🇷
▪️ Era: 1990s-2010s
Every modern-day attackers’ idol. A World Cup winner and a Ballon d’Or Winner, Ronaldinho is one of football’s greatest ever showmen.
(via @FIFAWorldCup)
https://t.co/qQafQzjUO3
In his third season with the club in 2005, Ronaldinho had already made a big name for himself, outperforming so many expectations. His creativity and goal-scoring abilities were delightful to watch and it was in 2005 that he won the Ballon d'Or after winning the La Liga title in the 2004-05 season. He beat two Englishmen, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard to win this highly-coveted award.