Ballon d’Or: The youngest players to win the trophy

• In a star-studded event held in Paris this week, the best football players were honored at the Ballon d’Or event.
• We look at the youngest players to ever win the individual trophy.

In a star-studded event held in Paris this week, the best football players were honored at the Ballon d’Or event.

After guiding Argentina to victory at the World Cup last winter, Lionel Messi earned a record-breaking eighth Ballon d’Or trophy. Erling Haaland, who scored 52 goals across all competitions as Manchester City won the treble in 2022–2023—was the main rival of Messi.

We look at the youngest players to ever win the individual trophy.

Oleg Blokhin (23 years)

Oleg Blokhin. Photo/dynamokiev

The first player from Ukraine to win the Ballon d’Or was Oleg Blokhin, who was crowned the winner in 1975. The striker won eight league titles with Dynamo Kyiv and was a productive player for the Soviet Union.

His victory in the Ballon d’Or came after he scored 23 goals in 36 games for Dynamo Kyiv, a team that won both the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and the Soviet Top League. Blokhin scored the third goal in the latter competition’s 3-0 final victory against Ferencvárosi.

Blokhin, who has 266 goals in all competitions, is Dynamo Kyiv’s all-time top goalscorer. He finished ahead of Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff in the poll.

George Best (22 years)

George finest’s pivotal contribution to Manchester United’s historic 1968 European Cup victory earned him the title of finest player in European football.

The Northern Irishman had an incredible season, making 53 appearances across all competitions and scoring 32 goals. For his efforts, Best was awarded the First Division Golden Boot and FWA Footballer of the Year, making him the youngest winner of the title.

Best’s skill made the difference when Sir Matt Busby’s team won the semi-final match against Real Madrid in the first leg and again when Benfica lost the final, leading to the team’s first-ever European triumph.

Lionel Messi (22 years)

Lionel Messi’s first Ballon d’Or. Photo/FC Barcelona

With a record-breaking seven Ballon d’Or victories, Lionel Messi is the overwhelming favorite to earn an eighth one in 2023 after helping Argentina win the World Cup the previous winter.

Messi was first crowned in 2009, following a season in which the striker helped Barcelona win three titles under Pep Guardiola’s leadership. During an incredible season for the Spanish, who won La Liga and the Copa del Rey before defeating Manchester United in the Champions League final, Messi scored 38 goals across all competitions.

Since voting for the Ballon d’Or became accessible to non-Europeans in the mid-1990s, Messi became the first Argentine to win the award after scoring the second goal in the subsequent final victory in Rome.

Michael Owen  (22 years)

Michael Owen, who received the Ballon d’Or just four days after turning 22, is the second-youngest recipient of the prize.

Following Liverpool’s cup triple in 2000–01—the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, and League Cup—Owen was awarded European Footballer of the Year by Gerard Houllier’s team. Owen scored in the previous two championship games, one of which was a late brace that turned the tide and helped Liverpool overcome Arsenal in the FA Cup final in Cardiff.

Liverpool also won the UEFA Super Cup and Charity Shield in Owen’s calendar year, scoring goals in both championship games, and the team was a key player in England’s historic victory in World Cup qualifying. At the Munich Olympiastadion, the attacker scored an incredible hat-trick as the Three Lions crushed Germany 5-1.

Ronaldo Nazario (21 years)

Ronaldo Nazario. Photo/All Football

At the tender age of 21, Ronaldo Nazario became the youngest winner of the Ballon d’Or, setting a record.

Following an incredible first season with Barcelona, in which the talented Brazilian scored 47 goals in 49 games across all competitions, Ronaldo won the greatest individual award in club football. Before Inter Milan broke the global transfer record to buy Ronaldo that summer, the Catalans used that comeback to help them win the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup, and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.

During an incredible debut season in Serie A, he scored 34 goals across all competitions, solidifying his place as the game’s best player. Ronaldo’s ultimate potential was never realized due to serious knee ailments, although he did win a second Ballon d’Or in 2002 after guiding Brazil to victory in the World Cup.