France Football has clarified that winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup alone will not guarantee a player the Ballon d’Or, insisting that the award will go to the footballer judged to have been the best over the entire season.
The organizers of football’s most prestigious individual award reviewed Ballon d’Or winners since 1995, when the prize was opened to players beyond Europe, to examine the connection between World Cup success and winning the award.
While legends such as Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, and Fabio Cannavaro won both the World Cup and the Ballon d’Or in 1998, 2002, and 2006 respectively, that trend has not always continued.
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In 2010, Lionel Messi claimed the Ballon d’Or despite Spain winning the World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo won the award in 2014 although Germany lifted the trophy, while Luka Modrić secured the honour in 2018 despite Croatia finishing as runners-up.
Messi later completed the double by winning the World Cup with Argentina before claiming the 2023 Ballon d’Or.
According to France Football’s findings, only four of the seven World Cup-winning players since 1995 have also gone on to win the Ballon d’Or.
The publication concluded that to win the prestigious award, a player must be considered the best performer throughout the season—not just the standout player at the World Cup.
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