Ballon d’Or organizers have officially clarified that individual players can secure football’s highest honor even if they fail to win a team championship during that campaign. While this outcome is rare, having occurred only six times since the award’s inception, it remains a valid possibility.
As the anticipation builds for the 2026 gala set for October 26 in London, organizers published an article this Monday to address ongoing discussions regarding the criteria for victory. The statement highlights that Stanley Matthews became the first recipient to win without a team trophy in 1956, the year the prize was first awarded.
Subsequent winners who accomplished this include Denis Law in 1964, Gerd Müller in 1970, Kevin Keegan in 1978, Luis Figo in 2000, and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013. Ronaldo holds the distinction of being the last player to win under these conditions, marking an 11-year gap since the last occurrence. Furthermore, the organizers pointed out that every recipient of the Women’s Ballon d’Or, introduced in 2018, has captured a team title during their winning season. This upcoming event in London will mark the 70th presentation of the men’s award and the eighth for the women’s category.
