Conceived by two French football journalists, the Ballon d’Or first came into being in the mid-Fifties, an award intended to honour that year’s greatest exponent of the beautiful game.
In due course, the award grew in prominence and furthermore expanded its parameters, originally only recognising European talent, it later included any player who plied his trade on the continent.
In 2010, so eminent had the award become that FIFA merged it with their own World Player of the Year merit.
These days it is regarded as the highest individual honour that can be bestowed, a footballing Oscar no less, so naturally it’s an award that has been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 21st century.
Between them, the modern era’s two foremost megastars have claimed the famed golden ball on 12 occasions and with the Argentinian genius claiming a World Cup this year, what’s the betting on that extending to 13 soon?
Inevitably too, some countries have produced more winners than others with three responsible for five different recipients - these are Germany, Italy and France – and of course the same principle applies to clubs.
Real Madrid have been the proud employer of eight different winners down the years, with AC Milan, Juventus and Barcelona following suit with six apiece.
The betting odds on guessing the first club to boast a Ballon d’Or winner however is long indeed, assuming, that is, you don’t already know.
Both the club and player were British, so that’s a big clue, but it was not Manchester United, nor Arsenal, nor any obvious Premier League contender with a storied past.
And The First Ballon d'Or Winner Is...
On December 18th, 1956, at a relatively modest reception held in London, up stepped a winger representing Blackpool FC.
When it’s revealed that the player in question was Sir Stanley Matthews the surprise greatly lessens. Nicknamed the ‘Wizard of Dribble’, Matthews was a renowned figure across the globe during a time when fame rarely crossed beyond borders.
An impish and fleet-footed wide-man, his sublime talent and modest demeanour made him an immensely popular player, a favourite of many who supported other clubs.
🏆 On the subject of Ballon d'Or winners...
— Blackpool FC (@BlackpoolFC) November 30, 2021
🥇 Here is Sir Stanley Matthews winning the first ever Ballon d'Or in 1956.
🍊 #UTMP pic.twitter.com/WK32n3x1Ei
Across fifteen years of producing magic for Stoke, and a further fourteen for the Tangerines, we can only imagine the esteem in which he was held in the Potteries and the Lancashire seaside resort.
It was likely he was everything and more to both clubs, a player of rare ingenuity and skill, who could change a game on a sixpence. In 2001, three statues were unveiled outside Stoke’s stadium.
Only three years prior to being officially regarded the best player in the world, Matthews had finally won a FA Cup after many years of near-misses, and with the final subsequently named after him and shown to millions outside the UK, perhaps this swayed the voters for the inaugural Ballon d’Or.
Maybe too, given to him at the seasoned age of forty, it was considered a lifetime achievement merit of a sort.
What could not have been factored in was Matthews’ remarkable longevity, the player going on to terrorise full-backs for another ten years. He retired, aged 50, a legend beloved. And one of the finest ever exponents of our beautiful game.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 3rd January 2023
