Karim Benzema is the rightful winner of the Ballon d’Or after leading Real Madrid to all of last season’s victories, including the Champions League, and as such the Frenchman joins four other compatriots who have previously achieved the feat. this. Do you remember them?
1
Raymond Kupa
Winner in 1958
He is the first Frenchman to win the Ballon d’Or and the third in history to do so by any nationality, succeeding Alfredo Di Stéfano, his teammate at Real Madrid. He defeated Helmut Rahn and Just Fontaine, another Kopa compatriot. During that time, he won the league and the European Cup.
two
Michel Platini
Winner in 1983, 1984 and 1985
Michel Platini is the first player in history, and the only one alongside Leo Messi, to win the Ballon d’Or in three consecutive seasons (1983, 1984 and 1985). Surprisingly, though, he has yet to enter the conversation among the top ten players of all time. This attacker, a footballer for Juventus Turin, dominated his time and completely won everything, leading the Vecchia Signora. He still had a season of 29 goals, which for that time was a very high figure.
3
Jean-Pierre Papin
Winner in 1991
Jean-Pierra Papin beat Dejan Savícevic, Darko Pancev and Lothar Mathaus, who shared second place, in the 1991 Ballon d’Or. The striker scored 185 goals in 244 goals while playing for Olympique de Marseille and that season he won the League 1.
4
Zinedine Zidane
Winner in 1998
Although he has only one Ballon d’Or, Zinedine Zidane is, for many fans, one of the best players to come in the history of football. Ahead of Davor Suker and Ronaldo Nazario, the Frenchman, who was a Juventus player last season in Turin, is France’s most outstanding player, winning the World Cup.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
