Ballon d'Or Quiz

The Ballon d'Or has been awarded since 1956. Originally known as the European Footballer of the Year award with only players from Europe eligible to win it. In 1995, it was expanded to include all players from any origin that play for European clubs. In 2007, the award became a global prize.

Football Trivia Questions

1. Who was the first winner of the Ballon d'Or in 1956? (Hint: It was an Engish player)
2. Which Premier League player came third in 2021?
3. Three Portuguese players have won the award. Can you name them?
4. Which two English players came runners-up in 1957? One played for Wolverhampton Wanderers and the other for Manchester United.
5. Did George Best ever win the award?






6. Which Bayern Munich player was the winner in both 1980 and 1981?
7. Which player became the first non-European to win the award in 1995?
8. Which British player came second to Michel Platini in 1983?
9. Which Real Madrid legend was awarded the Ballon d'Or for the European Footballer of the Year in 1957 and 1959?
10. Which Manchester United player won the award in 1964?
11. Who came runner-up in 1977 and won the award in both 1978 and 1979?
12. Three players have won the award three times each. Can you name them?
13. Neither Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi won the award in 2018, who did?
14. Name the only goalkeeper to win the award?
15. Which English player was runner-up in 1970?
16. Which English player, with 56 appearances including 22 as captain, came third in 1961?
17. Name the only Welsh player to finish in the top three, when he came third?
18. In 2005, Premier League players came both second and third. Can you name both?
19. Which English player won the award once and came second twice?
20. Which player, winner of the 1982 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot as top goalscorer, won the Ballon d'Or in 1982?
21. In which year did Michael Owen win the award?
22. Which member of England's 1986 FIFA World Cup squad was Ballon d'Or runner-up in 1986?

Answers

1. Stanley Matthews (Blackpool)
2. Jorginho (Italy and Chelsea)
3. Eusabio, Figo, and Ronaldo
4. Billy Wright and Duncan Edwards
5. Yes (1968 - and Bobby Charlton came second that year)
6. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
7. George Weah (Liberia)
8. Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool)
9. Alfredo Di Stefano
10. Denis Law
11. Kevin Keegan (Hamburger SV)
12. Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten.
13. Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
14. Lev Yashin (Soviet Union and Dynamo Moscow)
15. Bobby Moore (West Ham United)
16. Johnny Haynes (Fulham)
17. John Charles (Wales and Juventus in 1959)
18. Frank Lampard (second) and Steven Gerrard (third)
19. Bobby Charlton
20. Paolo Rossi (Italy and Juventus)
21. 2001
22. Gary Lineker