World Player of the Year.

Fictional (of course) yearwise top-5 plus best goalkeeper(s) plus best young player(s). UPDATED HERE (and only here for now)

We created our Ballon d'Or (Football Yesterday & Today is French) in 1949 to award the best football field-player of the year. In this occasion we only awarded a golden ball and a silver ball, but did not awarded any bronze ball since many players could claim to be the "winner" of it (one of them finally has had the good fortune of winning the golden ball the next year).

Then, since 1950, we decided to take a head-on approach and to publish a top-5, that includes a bronze ball award.

In the case of ex-aequo, the top-5 doesn't stop after that 5 players are named but continues until the 5th spot (wich in consequence is not mathematically the rank #5, but remains the 5th spot and is considered as our rank #5 in the end). The rank #1 and the rank #2 can't be shared (an ex-aequo occured once for the rank #3, but never happened concerning the two first ranks anyway).

Other awards are the goalkeeper of the year award called "gants d'or" (Golden Gloves), and the young talent of the year award named "Jeune talent de l'année", prizes that can be shared, but that can be not awarded (N/A by choice and in this case the players considered are still mentionned, or because still seeking a candidate if a blank spot, each case happened once). Goalkeepers' names marked with the sign * indicate the years we thought about opening the Ballon d'Or award to the players occupying this position (it occured three times). Those two prizes are awarded since the beginning, in 1949.

At last, footballer's names that appear into the "Mention" column are players we felt inclined to cite. It must be understood in that sense of "citation" more than really a "special mention". They receives no diploma for this. But have the privilege to appear on the "Roll of Honour". The most subjectice choices of all certainly concerns these names  - who appear or not, and independently of the question of the top-5's ranking order.

A last thing, I say "we" because I've also tried to think as a college of voters. In the end, the decision was made by only one person and naturally this is just (another) one single opinion. However, I've played it (yes, it is just a game)... quite seriously.

Now, let's take a look at the palmarès and who are our prize-winners for the year 2015!

Please click on picture to enlarge (then click in the margin to go back to the article).

Here is now a cumulative ranking of the players who appeared into the yearwise top-5 of our Ballon d'or.

The number of Ballon d'Or wins appears between brackets after the total of points (even from the players who received only 4 points, in order to keep a regular form more pleasing to the eye graphically, more than to underline the fact that some of these footballers have never been cited as #1).

186 players made the top-5 at least one time.

Ah, and it concerns only the period 1950-today (not '49) since we gave to our first winners a Golden and and a Silver Ball big as key rings and 1 year after their nomination had been made public, that was the debuts. And because there was not a top-5 back then.

Then the rankings by nations.

So first the players' cumulative ranking (additioning the scores of each yearwise top-5 and allocating 5 pts to the 1st... 1 pt to the 5th and last).

1. PELE (54/ 10)

2. MESSI (49/ 9)

3. MARADONA (34/ 2)

4. C. RONALDO (35/ 1)

5. BECKENBAUER (26/ 1)

6. PUSKAS (24/ 3)

7. CRUIJFF (21/ 4)

8. DI STFANO (21/ 3)

9. RONALDO (20/ 3)

10. ZIDANE (19/ 2)

11. PLATINI (18/ 2)

12. KOPA (18/ 0)

13. EUSEBIO (16/ 1)

14. RUMMENIGGE (14/ 2)

15. VAN BASTEN (14/ 2)

16. SUAREZ-MIRAMONTES (14/ 0)

17. ZICO (14/ 0)

18. KEEGAN (13/ 1)

19. HENRY (12/ 1)

20. KUBALA (12/ 0)

21. XAVI (12/ 0)

22. INIESTA (12/ 0)

23. ROMARIO (11/ 1)

24. GARRINCHA (10/ 1)

25. FIGO (10/ 1)

26. CHARLTON (10/ 0)

27. G. MÜLLER (10/ 0)

28. SHEVCHENKO (10/ 0)

29. GULLIT (9/ 1)

30. MATTHAÜS (9/ 1)

31. RONALDINHO (9/ 1)

32. STOITCHKOV (9/ 1)

33. DIDI (9/ 0)

34. SUAREZ (9/ 0)
35. NEYMAR (9/ 0)

36. BAGGIO (8/ 1)

37. FALCAO (8/ 0)

38. ALBERT (7/ 1)

39. BOZSIK (7/ 0)

40. BEST (7/ 0)

41. RENSENBRINK (7/ 0)

42. SCHUSTER (7/ 0)

43. RIQUELME (7/ 0)

44. RIVALDO (6/ 1)

45. KAKA (6/ 1)

46. HIDEGKUTI (6/ 0)

47. RIVERA (6/ 0)

48. BEBETO (6/ 0)

49. BERGKAMP (6/ 0)

50. BECKHAM (6/ 0)

51. ROBBEN (6/ 0)

52. ADEMIR (5/ 1)

53. GREN (5/ 1)

54. BLOKHIN (5/ 1)

55. SIMONSEN (5/ 1)

56. KEMPES (5/ 1)

57 ROSSI (5/ 1)

58. PAPIN (5/ 1)

59. WEAH (5/ 1)

60. NEDVED (5/ 1)

61. SCHIAFFINO (5/ 0)

62. JULINHO (5/ 0)

63. JAIRZINHO (5/ 0)

64. BREITNER (5/ 0)

65. GIRESSE (5/ 0)

66. M. LAUDRUP (5/ 0)

67. KOCSIS (4/ 0)

68. SIVORI (4/ 0)

69. GERSON (4/ 0)

70. TOSTAO (4/ 0)

71 S.MAZZOLA (4/ 0)

72. RIVELINO (4/ 0)

73. NETZER (4/ 0)

74 BETTEGA (4/ 0)

75. SOCRATES (4/ 0)

76. TIGANA (4/ 0)

77. ELKJAER (4/ 0)

78. CARECA (4/ 0)

79. BUTRAGUEÑO (4/ 0)

80. SCHILACCI (4/ 0)

81. MALDINI (4/ 0)

81. SAMMER (4/ 0)

82. DEL PIERO (4/ 0)

83. TOTTI (4/ 0)

84. RAUL (4/ 0)

85. PIRLO (4/ 0)

86. JAIR (3/ 0)

87. NORDAHL (3/ 0)

88. WALTER (3/ 0)

89. PEPE MACEDO (3/ 0)

90. AMARILDO (3/ 0)

91. DZAJIC (3/ 0)

92. RIVA (3/ 0)

93. DEYNA (3/ 0)

94. CUBILLAS (3/ 0)

95. NEESKENS (3/ 0)

96. KRANKL (3/ 0)

97. LINEKER (3/ 0)

98. FUTRE (3/ 0)

99. BARESI (3/ 0)

100. SAVICEVIC (3/ 0)

101. LITMANEN (3/ 0)

102. KLINSMANN (3/ 0)

103. SUKER (3/ 0)

104. OWEN (3/ 0)

105. BALLACK (3/ 0)

106. R. CARLOS (3/ 0)

107. VAN NISTELROOY (3/ 0)

108. DECO (3/ 0)

109. GERRARD (3/ 0)

110. F.TORRES (3/ 0)
111. MODRIC (3/ 0)

112. O. VARELA (2/ 0)

113. LIEDHOLM (2/ 0)

114. J. CHARLES (2/ 0)

115. MASOPUST (2/ 0)

116. GREAVES (2/ 0)

117. LAW (2/ 0)

118. AMANCIO (2/ 0)

119. JOHNSTONE (2/ 0)

120. STOJKOVIC (2/ 0)

121. RIJKAARD (2/ 0)

122. GASCOIGNE (2/ 0)

123. WADDLE (2/ 0)

124. RAI (2/ 0)

125. CANTONA (2/ 0)

126. ZOLA (2/ 0)

127. SHEARER (2/ 0)

128. MIJATOVIC (2/ 0)

129. LAMPARD (2/ 0)

130. ADRIANO (2/ 0)

131. ETO'O (2/ 0)

132. SNEIJDER (2/ 0)

133. ÖZIL (2/ 0)

134. RIBERY (2/ 0)

135. IBRAHIMOVIC (2/ 0)

136. T. MÜLLER (2/ 0)
137. LEWANDOWSKI (2/ 0)

138. I. NYERS (1/ 0)

139. WILKES (1/ 0)

140. GIGGHIA (1/ 0)

141. BASORA (1/ 0)

142. VUKAS (1/ 0)

143. FINNEY (1/ 0)

144. CZIBOR (1/ 0)

145. RIAL (1/ 0)

146. OCWIRK (1/ 0)

147. STRELTSOV (1/ 0)

148. EDWARDS (1/ 0)

149. FONTAINE (1/ 0)

150. HAMRIN (1/ 0)

151. SEELER (1/ 0)

152. HAYNES (1/ 0)

153. SPENCER (1/ 0)

154. VAN HIMST (1/ 0)

155. FACCHETTI (1/ 0)

156. MOORE (1/ 0)

157. GEMMEL (1/ 0)

158. SKOBLAR (1/ 0)

159. GADOCHA (1/ 0)

160. LATO (1/ 0)

161. FIGUEROA (1/ 0)

162. DIRCEU (1/ 0)

163. KROL (1/ 0)

164. CEULEMANS (1/ 0)

165. DALGLISH (1/ 0)

166. CONTI (1/ 0)

167. MAGATH (1/ 0)

168. CHALANA (1/ 0)

169. FRANCESCOLI (1/ 0)

170. ZAVAROV (1/ 0)

171. BURRUCHAGA (1/ 0)

172. MICHEL (1/ 0)

173. BREHME (1/ 0)

174. PROSINECKI (1/ 0)

175. Ab. PELE AYEW (1/ 0)

176. ASPRILLA (1/ 0)

177. HAGI (1/ 0)

178. OVERMARS (1/ 0)

179. BATISTUTA (1/ 0)

180. ROONEY (1/ 0)

181. DROGBA (1/ 0)

182. ARSHAVIN (1/ 0)

183. FABREGAS (1/ 0)

184. FORLAN (1/ 0)

185. D. SILVA (1/ 0)

186. VAN PERSIE (1/ 0)

187. GRIEZMANN (1/ 0)
188. CAVANI (1/ 0)

Now the ranking by country :

1st BRAZIL (174 pts, 19 B.O) – Pelé (54/ 10), Ronaldo (20/ 3), Zico (14/ 0), Romario (11/ 1), Garrincha (10/ 1), Ronaldinho (9/ 1), Didi (9/ 0), Neymar (9/ 0), Falcao (8/ 0), Rivaldo (6/ 1), Kaka (6/ 1), Bebeto (6/ 0), Ademir (5/ 1), Julinho (5/ 0), Jairzinho (5/ 0), Gerson (4/ 0), Tostao (4/ 0), Rivelino (4/ 0), Socrates (4/ 0), Careca (4/ 0), Jair (3/ 0), Pepe (3/ 0), Amarildo (3/ 0), Roberto Carlos (3/ 0), Rai (2/ 0), Adriano (2/ 0), Dirceu (1/ 0).

2nd ARGENTINA (121 pts, 13 B.O) – Messi (49/ 9), Maradona (34/ 2), Di Stéfano (20/ 3), Riquelme (7/ 0), Kempes (5/ 1), Sivori (4/ 0), Rial (1/ 0), Burruchaga (1/ 0), Batistuta (1/ 0)

3rd GERMANY (95 pts, 4 B.O) – Beckenbauer (26/ 1), Rummenigge (14/ 2), G.Müller (10/ 0), Matthaüs (9/ 1), Schuster (7/ 0), Breitner (5/ 0), Netzer (4/ 0), Sammer (4/ 0), F.Walter (3/ 0), Klinsmann (3/ 0), Ballack (3/ 0), Özil (2/ 0), T.Müller (2/ 0), Seeler (1/ 0), Magath (1/ 0), Brehme (1/ 0)

4th FRANCE (87 pts, 6 B.O) – Zidane (19/ 2), Platini (18/ 2), Kopa (18/ 0), Henry (12/ 1), Papin (5/ 1), Giresse (5/ 0), Tigana (4/ 0), Cantona (2/ 0), Ribéry (2/ 0), Fontaine (1/ 0), Griezmann (1/ 0).

5th HOLLAND (77 pts, 7 B.O) – Cruijff (21/ 4), Van Basten (14/ 2), Gullit (9/ 1), Rensenbrink (7/ 0), Bergkamp (6/ 0), Robben (6/ 0), Neeskens (3/ 0), Van Nistelrooy (3/ 0), Rijkaard (2/ 0), Sneijder (2/ 0), Wilkes (1/ 0), Krol (1/ 0), Overmars (1/ 0), Van Persie (1/ 0)

6th PORTUGAL (68 pts, 3 B.O) – C. Ronaldo (35/ 1), Eusébio (16/ 1), Figo (10/ 1), Futre (3/ 0), Deco (3/ 0), Chalana (1/ 0).

7th HUNGARY (62 pts, 4 B.O) – Puskas (24/ 3), Kubala (12/ 0), Albert (7/ 1), Bozsik (7/ 0), Hidegkuti (6/ 0), Kocsis (4/ 0), Nyers (1/ 0), Czibor (1/ 0).

8th ITALY (57 pts, 2 B.O) – Baggio (8/ 1), Rivera (6/ 0), Rossi (5/ 1), Mazzola (4/ 0), Bettega (4/ 0), Schilacci (4/ 0), Del Piero (4/ 0), Maldini (4/ 0), Totti (4/ 0), Pirlo (4/ 0), Riva (3/ 0), Baresi (3/ 0), Zola (2/ 0), Facchetti (1/ 0), Conti (1/ 0)

9th SPAIN (55 pts, 0 B.O) – Suarez (14/ 0), Xavi (12/ 0), Iniesta (12/ 0), Butragueño (4/ 0), Raul (4/ 0), Torres (3/ 0), Amancio (2/ 0), Basora (1/ 0), Michel (1/ 0), Fabregas (1/ 0), D. Silva (1/ 0).

10th ENGLAND (53 pts, 1 B.O) – Keegan (13/ 1), Charlton (10/ 0), Beckham (6/ 0), Lineker (3/ 0), Owen (3/ 0), Gerrard (3/ 0), Greaves (2/ 0), Shearer (2/ 0), Gascoigne (2/ 0), Waddle (2/ 0), Lampard (2/ 0), Finney (1/ 0), Edwards (1/ 0), Haynes (1/ 0), Moore (1/ 0), Rooney (1/ 0).

11th URUGUAY (20 pts, 0 B.O) – Suarez (9/ 0), Schiaffino (5/ 0), Varela (2/ 0), Gigghia (1/ 0), Francescoli (1/ 0), Forlan (1/ 0), Cavani (1/ 0).

12th DENMARK (14 pts, 1 B.O) – Simonsen (5/ 1), M. Laudrup (5/ 0), Elkjaer (4/ 0).

13th SWEDEN (13 pts, 1 B.O) – Gren (5/ 1), Nordahl (3/ 0), Liedhom (2/ 0), Ibrahimovic (2/ 0), Hamrin (1/ 0).

14th YUGOSLAVIA (11 pts, 0 B.O) – Dzajic (3/ 0), Savicevic (3/ 0), Stojkovic (2/ 0), Vukas (1/ 0), Skoblar (1/ 0), Prosinecki (1/ 0).

15th UKRAINE (10 pts, 0 B.O) – Shevchenko (10/ 0).

16th BULGARIA (9 pts, 1 B.O) – Stoichkov (9/ 1).

17th U.S.S.R (7 pts, 1 B.O) – Blokhin (5/ 1), Streltsov (1/ 0), Zavarov (1/ 0).

18th NORTHERN IRELAND (7 pts, 0 B.O) – Best (7/ 0).

19th POLAND (7 pts, 0 B.O) – Deyna (3/ 0),  Lewandowski (2/ 0), Gadocha (1/ 0), Lato (1/ 0).

20th CROATIA (6 pts, 0 B.O) – Suker (3/ 0), Modric (3/ 0).

21st LIBERIA (5 pts, 1 B.O) – Weah (5/ 1).

22nd CZECH REPUBLIC (5 pts, 1 B.O) – Nedved (5/ 1).

23rd SCOTLAND ( 5 pts, 0 B.O) – Law (2/ 0), Johnstone (1/ 0), Gemmel (1/ 0), Dalglish (1/ 0).

24th AUSTRIA (4 pts, 0 B.O) – Krankl (3/ 0), Ocwirk (1/ 0).

25th PERU (3 pts, 0 B.O) – Cubillas (3/ 0).

26th FINLAND (3 pts, 0 B.O) – Litmanen (3/ 0).

27th WALES (2 pts, 0 B.O) – J. Charles (2/ 0).

28th CZECHOSLOVAKIA (2 pts, 0 B.O) – Masopust (2/ 0).

29th BELGIUM (2 pts, 0 B.O) – Van Himst (1/ 0), Ceulemans (1/ 0).

30th SERBIA (2 pts, 0 B.O) – Mijatovic (2/ 0).

31st CAMEROON (2 pts, 0 B.O) – Eto'o (2/ 0).

32nd ECUADOR (1 pt, 0 B.O) – Spencer (1/ 0).

33rd CHILE (1 pt, O B.O) – Figueroa (1/ 0).

34th GHANA (1 pt, O B.O) – Ayew « Pelé » (1/ 0).

35th COLOMBIA (1 pt, O B.O) – Asprilla (1/ 0).

36th ROMANIA (1 pt, O B.O) – Hagi (1/ 0).

37th IVORY COAST (1 pt, O B.O) – Drogba (1/ 0).

38th RUSSIA (1 pt, O B.O) – Arshavin (1/ 0).

The write-ups are still to be made. While waiting to see this, let me tell you the whole story about the creation of our Ballon d'Or :

The idea came to us while travelling back (by plane, by chance) from Brazil where was held the South American Championship (at wich we have attended to some matches during the last two weeks of the competition). We were so impressed by a duo of players that we wanted to spread the word to the whole Europe - and the World - about the genius of some Brazilian footballers. This competition was a sort of rehearsal before World Cup to come, in Brazil, where the local super-talents, now helped by a decent defense, and a very good keeper, should win their first Jules Rimet Trophy ever, finally. And the idea, maybe, came one year too early as we know that the players of the Seleção were beaten in the 1950 World Cup Final, plunging the whole country into mourning, sadly both literally than figuratively. The wrong pronostic brang more the cries than the laughs (even though we can cry with laughter at times...but anyway). Before the misfortune that Brazil knew, we had had the privilege to award Best player in the World, thanks to the creation of the Ballon d'Or, one player who was known to be one of the best since some years at this time of the years 45-49 what was not possible anymore one year later, as well as to award his best teammate and partner of attack with a Ballon d'Argent (Silver Ball). It was the fantastic inside right Zizinho, and the very precious inside left Jair. The Brazilian defeat of 1950 at the Maracana did not prevent us to award a wonderful Brazilian individuality again however. Nor the collective value of Uruguay that shined through 3 players at our plamarès but which, in spite of their title, could not provide a " world number one player" like Zizinho our first Winner and in this year '50 Ademir, who attracted all the spotlights to him with his goals including 2 then 4 when respectively beating heavily Spain and Sweden, for a total of 9 goals in the whole tournament. Zizinho symbolized the tragic defeat of Brazil, the deafeat of the super-talent. Ademir still had the World Cup top scorer title for him.

That, this was the story. Did we not have had fun, all in all?

But it is not over yet. As already said, one thing that will be added is a write-up for each election. Soon or later.