Many great champions of football history have not had the chance to win the Ballon d'Or. Trophy touched but never achieved. If the great champions have been nominated without ever winning, others have never had the chance.
Judged by the football world as the greatest footballers of all time, Maradona and Pele do not have the Ballon d'Or. The reason? They have never been nominated in the different editions from the 50s to the 90s, or the decades in which they created their myth.
The Ballon d'Or was in the first decades an award given to European players. Some of them, Sivori and Di Stefano, were able to win the award only thanks to ancestors from the old continent, while Maradona and Pele never had this opportunity due to their Argentine and Brazilian passports, respectively.
In 1996, after his retirement from the world of football and the award being extended to every footballer in the world, Diego Maradona won the Ballon d'Or for career achievements. A recognition to make up for the lack of top prize during his golden years.
In 1999, however, Pele was voted "Footballer of the Century" by 34 previous Ballon d'Or winners. Sir Matthews, Sívori and Best abstained, while Jasin died. 17 votes, more than half, compared to Maradona, who took the career title three years ago. This title was handed to "O Rei" only in 2014.
It is impossible to know in retrospect whether Maradona and Pele would have won one, two or five editions of the Ballon d'Or if the rules had been different. However, some years were so dominant on the part of the two South Americans that it seems impossible, even in front of the great winners of those editions, to see beyond the Argentine and the Brazilian.
In 1958, Pele scored some 66 goals, winning the World Cup at the age of 18. The Brazilian would have clearly triumphed.
In 1962 Pele won his second World Cup against Masopust's Czechoslovakia, winner of the Ballon d'Or. Here too, an easy triumph for the Brazilian.
In 1970, Pele destroyed Italy in the World Cup final, but the Ballon d'Or ended up in Muller's hands. A few more doubts, but the strength is so great that he is close to the third title.
In 1986, Maradona pulled Argentina to victory in the World Cup, with the goal of the century and the "Hand of God". The Ballon d'Or went to Belanov, an easy prize for the "Pibe de Oro" if it wasn't limited to Europeans.
In 1989, Napoli won the UEFA Cup, Maradona was the inspiration and goalscorer. Van Basten won the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or.
In 1990, Maradona brought the title to Napoli, Matthaus won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or. The German could hardly resist Diego's "fury" in open competition.
And other years? A few more opportunities for those who have actually won the "Golden Ball". However, it was unlikely that both Maradona and Pele would have won less than three or four Ballon d'Ors each. Impossible to say.
For its part, France Football, however, published in 2016 a revised list of potential winners with the South Americans eligible, without giving them an actual award in retrospect.
In this retrospective, Pele would have won the prestigious award in 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964 and 1970, while Maradona in 1986 and 1990. /Telegraph/
