5 interesting facts about the Ballon d'Or award

#3 Manchester United have the most Ballon d’Or winners from England

Denis Law

Manchester United’s dominance in the Premier League can be traced back to the inception of the league. However, even before Sir Alex Ferguson had taken United beyond the reach of their league rivals, the Red Devils had been England’s true representative in the Ballon d’Or awards.

A Manchester United player first won the Ballon d’Or in 1964, when Dennis Law finished with 61 points. Two years later in 1966, United legend Bobby Charlton became only the second Englishman to win the award, securing 81 points.

In 1968, George Best got his hands on the Ballon d’Or, ensuring that Manchester United’s holy trinity were all champions of the world.

A United player stayed among the fringes of the award for the next few decades, before Cristiano Ronaldo won his first Ballon d’Or in 2008 while playing for Manchester United. As of now, four United players have won the award, the highest from an English club.

Stanley Matthews managed to become the first Ballon d’Or winner during his time at Blackpool in 1956. Michael Owen also won the coveted award in 2001 while playing for Liverpool.