With the 2026 FIFA World Cup now concluded, Ballon d’Or organisers have moved to dispel the long-held belief that winning football’s biggest international prize automatically guarantees the sport’s most prestigious individual honour.
As debate intensifies over who could succeed Lionel Messi as Ballon d’Or winner, organisers examined the award’s history and concluded that while World Cup success boosts a player’s chances, it is far from a guarantee.
According to the analysis, only seven players have won both the FIFA World Cup and the Ballon d’Or in the same cycle.
England’s Bobby Charlton achieved the feat in 1966, followed by Italy’s Paolo Rossi in 1982 and Germany’s Lothar Matthäus in 1990.
However, organisers noted that the trend becomes more relevant from 1995 onwards, when the Ballon d’Or expanded beyond European players to become a global award.
