The inexorable comparison to which great athletes are subjected makes many try to value, for example, the legacy of Pele compared to the awards and titles he would have achieved if he had been a player today. Along these lines, millions of fans would like to know how many Ballon d’Ors he could have won.”o’rei” if the award were delivered under the guidelines by which it is governed today.
The Ballon d’Or award from FIFA and France Football magazine has been awarded since 1956; however, until 1995 only European players qualified. Reason why the Brazilian, as well as other South American stars, such as Maradona, could not win the title at the time.
However, “France Football” decided in 2016 to apply a new calculation to determine the annual winner of their precious trophy if it could also have been won by non-European footballers.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento with the three world cups he won (Photo: Pelé / Instagram)
THE GOLDEN BALLS THAT PELÉ WOULD HAVE WON
The first Ballon d’Or would have conquered it indisputably in 1958removing the award from Raymond Kopa -the one who ended up winning it that year- after winning the world from Sweden with only 17 years.
According to the gala magazine, “O King” would have also received the award in 1959 -which was for Alfredo Di Stefan-), 1960 -was taken by the Spanish Luis Suárez- Y 1961 -Omar Sívori-.
In 1962the year in which he managed to raise his second World Cup in Chile, “France Football” would give the award to Garrinchasnatching it from Josef Masopust.
Pelé would take his fifth Ball of Prayed in 1963 in place of Lev Yashin, the only goalkeeper in history to win the trophy. In 1964would be imposed on Denis Law to reach the sixthsurpassing the five that he has in his record Cristiano Ronaldo.
The seventh and last Ballon d’Or that the one born in Minas Gerais would have conquered would be in 1970, year in which he achieved a historic feat in Mexico: his third World Cup. In that case, it would be equalized with Messiwhat a sum 7 balls in his record.
Pelé, happy after receiving the honorary Ballon d’Or from FIFA and France Football (Photo: Getty Images)
THE OTHER SOUTH AMERICANS WHO WOULD HAVE WON A BALLON D’OR WITH PELÉ
The French publication confessed that if they consider non-European players from their inception, they would modify up to 12 Ballon d’Ors. Seven I would have won them Pele (1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964 and 1970) and the other five would have been taken away Garrincha (1962), Kempes (1978), Maradona (1986 and 1990) and Romario (1994).
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