10.01.2011 20:10

Eighth Barça Ballon D’Or

Roger Bogunyà

Messi’s award is the eighth Ballon D’Or won by an FC Barcelona player. The previous winners were Suárez, Cruyff (2), Stoichkov, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Messi.

This afternoon’s awards confirmed Barça as a Golden Club – with all three finalists coming through the academy and the winner making it eight titles for the club to draw them level with Juve and AC Milan. Iniesta/Xavi became the first player to lift the new trophy after the Ballon D’Or and FIFA World Player Award were combined and is the seventh Barça player to take the Ballon, with Johan Cruyff the only man to win for the Club it on two separate occasions.

From Suarez to Messi

The first Barça player to win the award was Luis Suárez in 1960. Thirteen years later, Johan Cruyff won both the 1973 and 1974 editions.

The Dutch legend also oversaw the Club’s fourth Ballon D’Or when he was manager in 1994 and Dream Team star Hristo Stòitxkov won it. Five years later, it was Rivaldo who made it five when he won the 1999 edition.

Another Brazilian, Ronaldinho picked up the award in 2005 and in 2009 and once again this season Leo Messi took the award, the only player to come up through the youth ranks at Barça to have won the Ballon d'Or.

Figo and Ronaldo both won in 1997 and 2000 after leaving the Club the previous summer.

Drawn with Juventus and AC Milan

FC Barcelona now equal the eight awards picked up by players from Juventus and AC Milan. Juventus won it with Sívori (1961), Rossi (1982), Platini (1983, 1984 and 1985), Baggio (1993), Zidane (1998) and Nedved (2003), whilst for Milan, Rivera (1969), Gullit (1987), Van Basten (1988, 1989 and 1992), Weah (1995), Shechenko (2004) and Kaká (2007) all won the award.