Ranking Barcelona's 5 best Ballon d'Or winners
FC Barcelona have amassed an incomparable number of trophies over the years, making them one of the greatest clubs in world football. Blaugrana has won every major trophy in club football and remains the only club to have won two continental trebles in history.
The Ballon d'Or is the most coveted individual award which has been given to the best footballer on the planet since it was founded in 1956. Barcelona are the most successful club in this arena, with their players claiming the Ballon d'Or more times than any other club in history.
Barcelona have had the pleasure of witnessing some legendary footballers over the years. Out of them, six Blaugrana players were named the winners of the Ballon d’Or a record haul of 12 times. The Catalan giants, as a result, are the club with the most winners and one ahead of their arch rivals Real Madrid.
On that note, let us take a look at
Barcelona's five best Ballon d'Or winners.
#5 Luis Suarez - 1960
Not to be confused with Uruguayan footballer, Luis Suarez Miramontes was the first Barcelona player to ever win the Ballon d’Or. The legendary Spaniard won the prestigious prize in 1960 with 54 points, defeating Real Madrid's Ferenc Puskas. Suarez remains the only Spanish player to have won the award in football history.
Suarez was fast, skillful and decisive in front of goal which made him a crucial player for the Catalan side. He featured for Barcelona between 1955 and 1961, scoring 68 goals during his tenure at the Nou Camp.
#OnThisDay in 1960 - A Luis Suárez brace holds Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw in the European Cup first round first leg. https://t.co/tjB4pKzh6G
In addition to winning the award once, Suarez enjoyed second-placed finishes in 1951 and 1964 while being adjudged third best in 1965.
#4 Rivaldo - 1999
One of Brazil's all-time greats, Rivaldo was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 1999 for his exploits at Barcelona. The Brazilian forward defeated the likes of David Beckham and Andriy Shevchenko to win the award.
Renowned for his technique and skills, Rivaldo's left-foot struck fear into the hearts of the opposition. He was also proficient in front of goal, gliding past defenders and scoring goals with utter ease.
He gave Brazil copa America 1999 alongside Delima R9,they both scored 5 goals each but Rivaldo was the MVP of the tournament also won balon do’r that year
He was Barca’s magician,there weren’t much stars in d team, Rivaldo did the work and won all trophies but was unlucky in UCL https://t.co/lnMry4eB8N
Rivaldo helped the Spanish giants win La Liga titles in 1998 and 1999 as well as the 1998 Copa del Rey tournament. During his five-year tenure, he racked up 130 goals and 43 assists in 235 appearances for the club.