The reason that Lamine Yamal has to celebrate despite not having won the Golden Ball

ByDavid Mitchell
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Lamine Yamalfigure of Barcelona and of the Selection of Spainhe stayed Monday with him Kopa trophy to the Best player under 21, but was second in the vote for the Golden Ball 2025, which was for Ousmane Dembélé. The youth of the Catalan club did not obtain the main prize organized by France football, But at least it will not have the pressure of having to break a curse of almost eight decades.

Since this distinction is granted to the most prominent player of the year, a statistic became unwavering: The country of the last winner of the Golden Ball is never world champion.

The winners of the Golden Ball prior to the World Cup

1957: Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina/Spain) | Champion 1958: Brazil

1961: Omar Sívori (Argentina/Italy) | Champion 1962: Brazil

1965: Eusebio (Portugal/Mozambique) | Champion 1966: England

1969: Gianni Rivera (Italy) | 1970 champion: Brazil

1973: Johan Cruyff (Netherlands) | Champion 1974: Federal Germany

1977: Allan Simonsen (Denmark) | Champion 1978: Argentina

1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Germany) | Champion 1982: Italy

1985: Michel Platini (France) | 1986 Champion: Argentina

1989: Marco Van Basten (Netherlands) | Champion 1990: Germany

1993: Roberto Baggio (Italy) | 1994 Champion: Brazil

1997: Ronaldo (Brazil) | Champion 1998: France

2001: Michael Owen (England) | 2002 Champion: Brazil

2005: Ronaldinho (Brazil) | Champion 2006: Italy

2009: Lionel Messi (Argentina) | 2010 champion: Spain

2013: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) | 2014 Champion: Germany

2017: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) | 2018 Champion: France

2022: Karim Benzema (France) | Champion 2022: Argentina

The change that “saved” Lionel Messi

Although Leo won the 2021 edition and the World Cup was played in 2022, having been played exceptionally in November/December there was a winner before the start of the maximum event.

In October 2022 the award was Karim Benzema, who had shone with Real Madrid. For the curse it was double: he was not world champion and the tournament was lost due to injury.

David Mitchell
David Mitchell

As a passionate sports journalist with over a decade of experience, I strive to uncover the heart and soul behind every game. Supported by a dedicated team of fellow enthusiasts and storytellers, I am committed to delivering insightful and engaging content that connects fans worldwide. Together, we celebrate the victories, challenges, and unifying spirit of sports through every article we craft.