I attempt to list a group of players who has been most debatable even in the issue of suitability of given awards. Please vote one whom you think to have the lowest performance winner in history of Ballon D’or award. Stanley Matthews (1956) Matthews in his 41 years old did have a great season with Blackpool as one of important players help the club finish second place in English top division and it was Bert Trautmann, who was much impact to the fourth place Manchester City, won FWA footballer of the year. Blackpool was beaten by Man City in FA Cup third round. In the overlapped 1956 – 1957 season, Blackpool was still at the top of table with fourth place. Matthews played for England five games in 1956 and had an impressive result with his nation, won four and draw once, most notable beat Brazil 4-2 in friendly match. Allan Simonsen (1977) Simonsen won the award nonunanimously. He was voted as 1st place from seven persons less than 11 votes for Keegan. Kicker rated Simonsen in world-class a half of season only in this year. However, he was the main pillar of Gladbach to finish runner-up in European Cup. He played only twice international country games, still scored twice goals. Disappointingly, Denmark lost all 3 world cup qualifying games let to following disqualification to the final tournament. Paolo Rossi (1982) Rossi in the 1982 World Cup is not only acquired the golden ball but also is regarded as one of the best strikers in a single world cup tournament but the fact that football career was not played in only international country part and Rossi participated only 3 games in the 1981 – 1982 Series A season with Juventus and scored only one goal. In the first part of the 1982 – 1983 season, he scored only three goals in Series A. The best domestic game of Rossi in 1982 is arguably the coppa italia match against AC Milan when he scored twice goals in round of 32 teams. In the 1982 – 1983 European Cup round of 16, he prominently scored twice and helped the team to beat Standard Liege. Ihor Belanov (1986) Belanov was awarded the second place Soviet Footballer of the year in 1986 second to Alexsander Zavarov with 12 % lower point. He also finished top scorer in Cup Winners’ Cup together with other three players, two of them were from his club dynamo kiev, Blokhin and Zavarov. Belanov only scored one goal by penalty in semi-finalist while Blokhin and Zavarov scored in both semi-final and final match without penalty kick. Belanov played remarkably in the world cup particularly his hat-trick against Belgium in second round but Soviet Union was finally beaten. Michael Owen (2001) Michael Owen won the Ballon’Dor as a result from his transparent impact on Liverpool’s Treble. In premier league, he was not named in any player of the month within a calendar year. DBScalcio media rating shows he has the best domestic season in the 2000 – 2001 with 6.6 point (rather low base on English standard) and in the 2001 – 2002 season, he received only 6.16). Owen’s best game of the club season would be the FA Cup final when he scored twice against Arsenal. Owen did not score any goal in semi-final and final of League Cup and UEFA Cup. He scored 6 goals in 8 international games help England won 7 games and lost only one, made a hat-tricks against Germany in world cup qualifying round. Fabio Cannavaro (2006) Cannavaro was named as Italian Series A footballer of the year with Juventus. However, the following 2006 – 2007 seasons saw his big decline as a part of loosely defensive characteristic of Real Madrid. Cannavaro finished quarter-final round in UEFA Champion League with Juventus but the team conceded 6 goals in only twice games in round of 16 and QF. The hightlight of his performance would be the world cup where he won silver ball.
Cristiano Ronaldo (2012) Not only didn't he win any individual or team titles, he wasn't best at anything. Won with 3% margin, after media campaign and after FIFA corrupted the Ballon d'Or for good chancing the rules after the competition, and extending the vote deadline first time in its history. No other Ballon d'Or is even close as fake as C.Ronaldo 2012.
Tbf, Cristiano didn't only win 2012 undeservedly, he straight out didn't actually win it at all. Messi did. But if you're talking about 2013, then I might agree (though he was the 2012-2013 top CL scorer).
Oh yeah, meant of course 2013. Cristiano Ronaldo (2013) Not only didn't he win any individual or team titles, he wasn't best at anything. Won with 3% margin, after media campaign and after FIFA corrupted the Ballon d'Or for good chancing the rules after the competition, and extending the vote deadline first time in its history. No other Ballon d'Or is even close as fake as C.Ronaldo 2012.
Firstly the question is are we looking at those who were the least deserving (ie there were better candidates) or who won with the weakest overall performance. Anyway George Weah should be in the mix here. Always baffles me quite how he was such a clear winner.
I vote Rossi. Three good matches in the season and he won Ballon D´or. This is to be in the right place at the right time. But I think, he deserved it, he was the best European player of the year.
i recall owen getting the award. it baffled me that it was explained that owen could leap high and score headers, despite his size. this is ofcourse nothing more than a gimmick. just like little kids with big singing voices aren't necessarily the best singers. the same could be argued about matthews but in his case one could also consider it a career award. as i swear by dbscalcio, it is defenitely owen who didn't deserve it. his career was also quite poor in comparison to other winners of that time.
Yes, he 'only' got 28.00% of the first place votes (7 out of 25). However, there have been other winners around the 30% mark too, and even lower. Suarez (1960) 21.05% Sammer (1996) 25.49% Sivori (1961) 26.32% Best (1968) 28.00% Law (1964) 28.57% Belanov (1986) 30.77% Müller (1970) 30.77% Ronaldo (2002) 30.77% Albert (1967) 33.33% Keegan (1978) 34.61% That are the 1956-2009 winners with 35% of the 1st place votes or less. Now the points. Simonsen got in 1977 59.2% of the maximum points (74/125). Best (1968) 48.4% Sivori (1961) 48.4% Sammer (1996) 56.4% Suarez (1960) 56.8% Law (1964) 58.1% Weah (1995) 58.7% Matthews (1956) 58.8% Müller (1970) 59.2% Rivera (1969) 63.8% Eusebio (1965) 64.0% Belanov (1986) 64.6% Beckenbauer (1972) 64.8% Ronaldo (2002) 65.0% Let's see further in detail. In 1976-77 he was named 10 times in the 'team of the week' (34 rnds). He had an average grade of 2.12. That's for a forward not a bad grade: it is for ex. higher as Gerd Müller in any of his BuLi seasons (2.33 in 1969-70, 2.27 in 1971-72), and higher as Rummenigge in any of his seasons (2.32 in 1979-80, 2.24 in 1980-81). It is also higher as Keegan in 1977-78 (2.24), who won it in 1978. Keegan had a grade of 1.94 in 1978-79 though. How does 10 team of the week appearances compare with other Bundesliga Ballon d'Or winners? Rummenigge (1981) - 14 appearances (note: Breitner had 13, who was 2nd in 1981 Ballon d'Or) Beckenbauer (1972) - 12 appearances Keegan (1979) - 11 appearances Rummenigge (1980) - 9 appearances Beckenbauer (1976) - 8 appearances Keegan (1978) - 8 appearances Müller (1970) - 6 appearances Sammer (1996) - 6 appearances ------- My argument is not (necessarily) that he reached a high standard, merely that your preferred source shows a mixed picture when looking beyond the 'world class', 'international class' badges. Apparently the only goals Denmark scored in those two matches (he scored in both).
My call would be Matthias Sammer in 1996. Got 25% of the first place votes in 1996 (13/51) and 56% of the maximum points (144/255) at the 1996 Ballon d'Or. For 'Germany's footballer of the year' he got 166 of 854 votes (19% of the press votes). It was 12 votes ahead of Klinsmann ( http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benutzer:Bumbas_Tölker#cite_note-kicker_Nr._75_p.11-36 ). As far as basic ability on the ball is concerned I'd say he is below any 1956-2009 winner, except Cannavaro (and goalkeeper Yashin). Had in the 1995-96 season an average 'kicker' grade of 2.86, pretty low for a defender (2.90 in 1996-97). Six times selected in the 'team of the week'. One time 'man of the day'. Badged as 'World Class' in 'only' one half of the year (as with Simonsen in 1977). Had however 3 goals and 8 assists in 22 games. Didn't do anything of note in the Champions League (0 goals, 0 assists in 1995-96 Champions League; double-yellowed in the KO stage). Euro96 is - in my view - widely seen as one of the poorest European Championships - together with 1968, 1980 and 2004. Actually, not Sammer but (defensive player) Dieter Eilts was voted by the press as player of the tournament. If we look at Sammer his level of play in the European Championship, it is not only below the very top tier (e.g. Platini, Van Basten) but also below a few players of 1972, 1976, 1980... The player with the most official man of the match designations at euro96 was... Karel Poborsky. Not to forget that Sammer was - in all objectivity - extremely lucky to complete the 1996 final; he should have been sent off long before the end. The only Ballon d'Or winner without 'ESM team of the month' selections. The exception is December 1996, but that was rather strange because he only played three games in this month (that is: 0:0 vs Portugal NT; 5:3 vs Steaua Bucarest; 3:1 vs Cologne). In all other months of 1996 not chosen by the 'European Sports Media'.
If only within your list, my opinion of the LEAST deserved order: Canavaro < Owen < Rossi < Simonsen < Belanov < Mathews Now Agree with Puck of a few points (in 1st place votes), Adding Keegan 1978, Sammer 1996, Suarez 1960 ... to make the TOP10 least deserved
So, the obvious follow-up question: who should've won in these years, or are the least deserved winners still more deserved winners than players who did not win?
That's a good one. I'll think about it and make a selection in the names. For 1996 it is peculiar that Jari Litmanen received not a single top 5 vote at all among the 51 voters, while he was Champions League topscorer with 9 goals (1PK) in 10 games (not bad for a borderline midfielder - he played on paper behind three forwards). The obvious alternative for 1996 is Ronaldo Fenomeno, but also Weah (best rated Serie A player by Gazzetta dello Sport), Del Piero, Cantona, Klinsmann, Shearer are among the logical alternatives. Strange voting pattern though.
Agree , Litmanen was often underrated with Ajax (only if Ajax won UCL? maybe his name would be in TOP3) Look it was the Euro year, so Sammer, plus Shearer Klinsmann and Suker were in TOP5 (and eventually Sammer won it for being MVP of Euro96) Only Del Piero and R9 were there for their individual talent show. Litmanen was quickly forgoten
Not really familiar with the older ones, but Rossi winning by basically scoring 6 goals in 3 games most of which were tap ins is pretty bad.
it looked bad, but in reality it was also due to Rossi's redemption of the past years (TOP3 WC1978) and TOP5 best of 78 and 79 ... before the drug ban!
It was a betting scandal, not a drug ban. Even so I think, that Rossi deserved the prize, though played good for only 3 matches. To this day, when you say the year 1982, the most of the football fans will recall the magical Brazilian team and ........... Paolo Rossi, not Platini , Giresse, Boniek, Rumenigge or Conti.
Agree ... in overall career Rossi was very very good until the ban, then he came back shining at WC82 (3games ) It was always a dilemma in Ballon Dor ... depends on the year anyway ... not always the best player won or the winner was truely the best Plus at that time, none of Zico Falcao Maradona ... were eligible
Why? Because he broke a contrived record? He did nothing in the clasico or the CL semis and won only Cope Del Rey. Ronaldo beat the Dutch and Czech Rep in Euro, (joint top scorer) scored 2 goals and 1 assist in the CL semi-final vs Bayern and scored the goals against Barca in Camp Nou to effectively seal the league. Meanwhile Messi scored hat-tricks vs Switzerland's and Brazil's youth. Ronaldo scored 69 goals that year, Messi scored 22 more goals, and none of them meant anything, not to mention IIRC, he played many more games.
haha ... If your team doesn't win anything it doesn't mean all their goals/matches meant nothing. The importance of a goal/match is determined at the time it happens, not in hindsight. Just like Ronaldo's goal against Czech Republic (no better than Switzerland BTW) was important even though Portugal won nothing in the end. You're not only terribly inconsistent, but also wrong. Messi scored twice in the second league clasico of that year and Barca went on to win that Liga title.