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Following the completion of the Copa America and Euro 2020, all eyes are now on who will win the 2021 Ballon d'Or. The previous edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but with the resumption of football, the battle for the award has gotten more intense.
Since 2008, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the prestigious individual title. Luka Modric was the only exception in the last decade, but Jorginho and Robert Lewandowski have impressed in recent months, making them strong contenders to become this year's Ballon d'Or recipient.
Although the spotlight is frequently on countries such as Germany, Portugal and France to produce the next award winner, there have been a couple of players from obscure nations who won the Ballon d'Or too. In this article, we will be looking at five such players.
#5 Denis Law (Scotland)
In 1964, Denis Law became the first Manchester United player to win the Ballon d'Or, doing so before his fellow teammates, Sir Bobby Charlton and George Best.
In the buildup to the award, Law scored an incredible 46 goals in a single season - a record that no United player has broken thus far. Sir Alex Ferguson has often spoken highly of his compatriot. At one point, the former Manchester United manager claimed:
“Quite simply, he was the finest player Scotland ever produced and one of the greatest the world has ever seen. He was my idol as a player. Lightning quick, fearless, dynamic, good with both feet, spectacular in the air, he was as near as, damn it, the perfect goalscoring individual."
After spending 11 years with the Red Devils, Law netted a total of 237 goals in 404 games across all competitions and is now the third-highest goalscorer of all time. Apart from his contributions at club level, Law is also the joint-top scorer for the Scotland national team with 30 goals alongside Sir Kenny Dalglish.
Being awarded the Ballon d'Or is among the many key moments of Law's career. Most importantly, he left a great legacy behind for both United and Scottish fans.
#4 Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
Not only is Hristo Stoichkov one of the greatest players to play for Barcelona, but he is also one of the best footballers from Bulgaria and in the world.
On top of receiving the Ballon d'Or in 1994, Stoichkov was named Bulgarian Footballer of the Year six times, a recipient of the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot and four-time UEFA Super Cup winner with Barcelona.
Known for his pace and creativity, the 55-year-old usually played as a winger but has also been named as an attacking midfielder and a supporting striker. The late Johan Cruyff praised the Ballon d'Or winner by saying:
“I could talk about Stoichkov forever. He came to Barcelona because we needed him. He had speed, finishing and character. We had too many nice guys, we needed someone with mala leche.”
Since hanging up his boots, Stoichkov has gone on to manage a few teams but he appears to have been relatively less successful.
#3 George Best (Northern Ireland)
Regarded as one of the best footballers in history, George Best won the Ballon d'Or in 1968. The late Manchester United winger was known for his dribbling skills, pace and ability to control the ball using both his left and right foot.
Between 1963 and 1974, Best made over 350 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 137 goals and providing three assists. At just 22, the Northern Irishman was awarded the Ballon d'Or, and he is currently the fourth-youngest player to do so.
Soon after, Best's career declined. In his last two seasons as a United player, the winger was often left out of the squad. Subsequently, Best moved overseas to play for clubs in South Africa and the United States but failed to regain his form.
Nonetheless, Best is the only player from Northern Ireland to win the Ballon d'Or and remains a greatly respected figure.
#2 George Weah (Liberia)
Before becoming the 25th President of Liberia, George Weah was a footballer for Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and AC Milan, amongst others.
Weah gained recognition for his playing abilities when he joined Monaco in 1988 to play under Arsene Wenger. During his four years with Les Monegasques, Weah scored 65 times in 136 matches and won the French Cup. Thereafter, he moved to PSG, where he netted 50 goals in 133 games and lifted the Ligue 1 title.
At his peak, the 54-year-old was the top-scorer in the UEFA Champions League in the 1994-95 season. Additionally, after joining AC Milan in 1995, Weah lifted the Serie A trophy and finished as the top scorer in his first season. His accomplishments earned him the Ballon d'Or, something the striker had never dreamt of.
To date, Weah is the first and only African player to win the Ballon d'Or. Reflecting on his career as a footballer, Weah said:
“When I started playing football, I never thought I would ever win the Ballon d'Or and emerge as the best player in the world. I just had a passion for the game and I worked hard. Every day. I would rather train than eat or sleep."
#1 Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)
Andriy Shevchenko was recently hailed for leading Ukraine's national team to their first quarter-final appearance in a European Championship. While they put up a miserable performance and lost 4-0 to England, the 44-year-old manager is nevertheless regarded as a legend in Ukraine.
Despite facing competition from the likes of Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney, Shevchenko became the third Ukrainian player to win the Ballon d'Or in 2004.
The former striker spent the majority of his career playing for Dynamo Kyiv and AC Milan, but he also endured an unsuccessful three-year spell at Chelsea. During his time with the Rossoneri, Shevchenko scored 175 goals in 322 appearances, establishing himself as the club's all-time second-highest goalscorer.
At the same time, the centre-forward is the second-most capped player for Ukraine and with 48 goals, he is the top scorer for his country. As one of the best strikers of his generation, winning the Ballon d'Or summarizes Shevchenko's achievements.
