The Ballon d'Or is widely regarded as football's most prestigious individual honor, awarded annually to the player judged to have performed the best over the previous season. But beyond the obvious headline winners, the award's history is full of quirks, surprises, and records that even devoted fans often miss. Here are ten worth knowing — and a few that might just help you outsmart Anubis next time you play.
1. The Award Wasn't Always Open to Non-Europeans
For decades after its creation in 1956, the Ballon d'Or was only open to European players. It wasn't until 1995 that eligibility expanded to include all players, regardless of nationality, as long as they played for a European club.
2. One Player Has Won It a Record Number of Times
A small handful of legendary forwards have won the award multiple times across their careers, separating themselves from the hundreds of other world-class players who never claimed it even once.
3. Some Legendary Players Never Won It
Several footballers widely regarded among the greatest of all time never actually won a Ballon d'Or, often due to fierce competition during their peak years or because the award simply wasn't open to players from their region yet.
4. Goalkeepers Have Won It Too — Rarely
While forwards and attacking midfielders dominate the list of winners, a small number of goalkeepers and defenders have broken through over the decades, a reminder that the award isn't exclusively reserved for goal-scorers.
5. The Voting Process Has Changed Several Times
The method for determining the winner has shifted multiple times throughout the award's history, from journalist-only panels to formats that incorporated input from national team captains and coaches.
6. A World Cup-Winning Year Often Boosts Chances
Historically, players who help their national team win a World Cup in the same calendar year have frequently found themselves among the favorites — sometimes even edging out players with arguably stronger club seasons.
7. There's a Women's Equivalent
Since 2018, the Ballon d'Or Féminin has recognized the best female footballer in the world, following the same prestige format as the men's award.
8. Club Success Doesn't Guarantee a Win
Winning the Champions League with your club is often seen as a major factor in Ballon d'Or voting, but plenty of Champions League winners have still lost out to players from teams that fell short in Europe that same season.
9. The Award Has Been Shared Before
While extremely rare, there have been instances in the award's long history where voting was close enough to create genuine debate about whether the right player ultimately won.
10. Winning It Young Doesn't Guarantee More Wins
Some of the youngest-ever winners went on to dominate the award for years afterward — but others, despite winning early in their careers, never returned to the podium again, proving just how competitive each new generation of talent becomes.
Why This Matters for Your Next Game
Knowing a footballer's Ballon d'Or status can be one of the fastest ways to narrow Anubis's guesses — but as you can see from the facts above, it's far from a simple yes-or-no category to predict just from reputation alone. Next time you're picking a footballer to stump him with, consider choosing someone whose trophy cabinet doesn't quite match their fame. It might just buy you a few extra questions.