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#3 Manchester United have the most Ballon d’Or winners among English clubs
Manchester United are fortunate to have witnessed four of their players winning the Ballon d'Or. Some of the greatest footballers have graced the English top flight with their presence. The Red Devils are the only English club to have the most Ballon d'Or winners in their history.
All the members of United's famed 'Holy Trinity' received the Ballon d'Or, which is a testament to their greatness. Dennis Law was the first Manchester United player to win the award in 1964. SIr Bobby Charlton claimed it two years later in 1966, followed by George Best in 1968.
Cristiano Ronaldo remains a serial winner of the coveted individual prize, winning his first Ballon d'Or in 2008 with Manchester United. Paul Scholes was one of the United legends who was nominated numerous times but unfortunately, never received the award.
#2 Jimmy Greaves is the only player to receive the Ballon d'Or nomination in a year where he played for three different clubs
Jimmy Greaves was one of the greats to have never won the Ballon d'Or award. A serial goalscorer at his peak, the Englishman had an incredible impact during his time at Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
Greaves made his name as a rising star at Chelsea with his sensational goalscoring. The legendary forward scored goals for fun, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest goalscorers of all time. Greaves was signed by AC Milan in June 1961 due to his exploits with the Blues.
Greaves' spell at Milan was short-lived as he fell out with manager Nereo Rocco. Despite scoring some important goals for Milan, he was transfer listed and eventually returned to the English top flight with Tottenham in December 1961. Greaves then went on to become the record goalscorer for Spurs, racking up 266 goals.
Greaves was also nominated for the Ballon d'Or in 1961, making him the only player to receive a nomination in a year where he played for three different clubs.
#1 Only thrice the top 3 podium had players from the same country
Podium finishes at the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony is a tough ask for any footballer. It goes without saying that it is rare to see all three players belonging to the same country in the top 3 of Ballon d'Or. It has only happened on three different occasions that the three players at the podium were from the same country.
Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller and Gunter Netzer were the German players to occupy the top three spots in 1972. Again in 1981, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Paul Breitner and Bernd Schuster of Germany finished in the top three. Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard were the three legends from the Netherlands who took the top 3 in 1988 Ballon d'Or.
