Ballon d’Or 2026: ‘Not just the World Cup’ – France Football reveals criteria to win award this year

France Football has stated categorically the relationship between winning the World Cup and securing the Ballon d’Or.

The organizers of football’s most prestigious accolade opted to reassess their data during the ongoing World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

They examined the timeframe starting from 1995, when the award was no longer restricted to European players.

In earlier decades of the competition, notable figures such as Bobby Charlton, Paolo Rossi, and Lothar Matthaus had all achieved both the World Cup and the Ballon d’Or.

Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, and Fabio Cannavaro subsequently completed this double in 1998, 2002, and 2006, establishing what appeared to be an unbreakable trend.

However, this remarkable streak of three consecutive world champions eventually came to an end.

In 2010, despite Spain’s triumph in South Africa, Lionel Messi outshone Andres Iniesta and Xavi.

Cristiano Ronaldo beat finalist Messi and winner Manuel Neuer in 2014, while Luka Modric claimed the Ballon d’Or despite losing in the final in 2018.

The pattern reemerged at the Qatar tournament when Messi added his World Cup victory with Argentina to the 2023 award.

France Football discovered that only four out of seven world champions since 1995 also secured the Ballon d’Or, resulting in a 57% success rate.

Their final conclusion was, “To win the coveted award, you need to have been the best player of the season,” not just the World Cup.