Ranking Italy's 5 Ballon d'Or winners of all time
Italy is a land of finesse, elegance, and excellence. The country and its countrymen not only know how to win but also how to leave an impression.
So far, Italy have had five Ballon d’Or winners, with every individual making a dent in the football universe. Today, we will take a look at the five victors and try to summarize their greatness.
Now without further ado, let us get to it.
#5 Omar Sivori
Omar Sivori is probably the most underrated player on this list and understandably so. Born in Argentina, Sivori took a while to find his footing in Italy, which has pushed him down the list in terms of popularity.
Sivori, who took an interest in football at a very young age, started his career at River Plate. He had the golden opportunity to play for the senior side in his teens and he embraced the chance with open arms.
Sivori had an outlandish hairdo, was quite outspoken, and often came off as brash during his time at River Plate. His attitude and demeanor earned him the nickname “El Cabezon (big head).”
- OMAR SIVORI EN RIVER:
📊 81 partidos (18 como DT)
⚽️ 29 goles
🏆 Campeonato de Primera División 1955, 1956, 1957
- ALFREDO DI STEFANO EN RIVER:
📊 122 partidos (35 como DT)
⚽️ 55 goles
🏆 Campeonato de Primera División 1945, 1947
🏆 Copa Aldao 1947
🏆 Torneo Nacional 1981 (DT) twitter.com/NumeralRiver/s… https://t.co/MJ13mHLlyR
His big break came, however, in Italy, at Juventus. He played for the club for eight seasons and emerged as the league’s top scorer with 28 goals in the 1959-60 season.
Juventus won Serie A that season and successfully defended the title in the 1960-61 season. Sivori won the Ballon d’Or in 1961 for his contribution - 25 goals in 27 matches - to Juventus’ title defense.
#4 Gianni Rivera
One of Serie A’s most successful clubs, AC Milan have had the privilege of fielding some iconic footballers over the years. Gianni Rivera, who ruled the club for 19 long seasons, certainly belonged to the top tier of Italian superstars.
Rivera was a versatile, attack-minded midfielder who loved to play as a number 10. He was excellent at linking up with his teammates and rarely missed an opportunity to venture into the final-third himself.
The former Italy international joined AC Milan in 1960 and enjoyed a fruitful career with the Rossoneri. The “Golden Boy” of Milan, who captained the side for 12 seasons, won three Serie A titles and two European Cups amongst other honors.
His most notable contribution came in 1969 when he helped Milan beat Johan Cruyff’s Ajax in the 1968-69 European Cup final.
"Un vestito indelebile per uno che di rossonero ha anche la pelle. Non avrei concepito di poterne indossare un'altra."
[Gianni Rivera, il 23 maggio 2010 durante la visita ad un Milan Club]
Tratto dal libro "SECONDA PELLE"
#SempreMilan #goldenboy #ACMilan https://t.co/IryVGpHUxe
The Italian assisted with two goals in the iconic 4-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Milan also bagged the Continental Cup the same year, which eventually sealed Rivera’s Ballon d’Or win in 1969.