Only one player has ever received the ‘Super Ballon d’Or’, a rare and relatively obscure award presented by France Football.
The Ballon d’Or began in 1956 when Sir Stanley Matthews of Blackpool was the inaugural recipient. Since then, the award has been won by many of football’s greatest players, including Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Over the years, the Ballon d’Or has undergone several name changes and partnered with various organizations, but it has consistently been awarded by France Football.
In 1989, France Football introduced a new accolade—the Super Ballon d’Or. Unlike the standard Ballon d’Or, which honors the best player of the past year, the Super Ballon d’Or recognized the top player from the previous 30 years.
Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano is the sole recipient of the Super Ballon d’Or. Di Stefano scored 308 goals for Real Madrid and was pivotal in their five consecutive European Cup victories from 1956 to 1960.
He won the Ballon d’Or twice, in 1957 and 1959, and was further honored with the Super Ballon d’Or to celebrate France Football’s 30th anniversary. This special award was exclusively for European players, excluding legends like Pele and Diego Maradona.
Di Stefano, born in Argentina, played there until 1949 before representing Colombia and Spain after acquiring citizenship, which made him eligible for the Super Ballon d’Or.
Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini were also nominated, but the award went to Di Stefano, 30 years after his second Ballon d’Or win.
The Super Ballon d’Or trophy resembles the Ballon d’Or but features a base adorned with multiple gold mini-footballs reminiscent of Ferrero Rocher chocolates.
Initially displayed at the Real Madrid Museum at Santiago Bernabeu, the trophy was auctioned in London in September 2021 as part of “Property from the Estate of Alfredo Di Stefano,” fetching £187,500 according to Julien’s Auctions.
In 1995, a special ‘Golden Ballon d’Or’ was introduced to honor non-European players, with Argentina’s Diego Maradona being the first recipient.
Following Maradona’s World Cup triumph, many fans believed Lionel Messi, who won his eighth Ballon d’Or last year, deserved a similar accolade to emphasize his status as one of the greatest players ever.
