«Kick that old demon. It is killing us! Langley , who had brought his entire family to Victoria Ground, could only be dumbfounded by such a Stoke legend. But Stanley Matthews , one of the longest-standing players ever and who reached his last game four days after his 50th birthday, was still facing and fending for the extreme right to the surprise of Fulham day laborers. Matthews, 34 active seasons, 837 games behind him, raised the first Golden Ball in history, in 1956, at age 41. I did not drink alcohol. He did not smoke either. He kept the Spartan routines engraved on the blade by his father, a boxing madman and a barber by profession.

They were different times. Other football The bellies and the vices were accepted, and there was no rigor in the physical preparation. A review of the list of the historic winners of the Golden Ball reveals that in this sport the wrinkle continues to be beautiful. The last four awards for the best player of the year have fallen to players who have surpassed thirty. Cristiano conquered his fourth and fifth golden ball (2016 and 2017) with 31 and 32 years. Modric , world runner-up with Croatia in Russia, won the prize of his life in 2018 at age 33. While Messi travels to Paris on Monday to pick up his sixth Golden Ball with 32 years. The first won at 22, just a decade ago. Unprecedented fact and that separates him, even if only for the extreme longevity and constancy of his performance, from the rest of those considered best players ever.

Among the 44 winners to date, up to 11 players were 30 or older when they won the trophy. Alfredo di Stéfano won his two golden awards with 31 and 33 years (1957 and 1959). The Czech Josef Masopust , whose tiny Golden Ball rests in a window of the Eden Arena in Prague, won the award at age 31. Franz Beckenbauer was the same age when he won it for the second time (in 1976, four years after the first), or Pavel Nedved (2003), who surpassed in those votes one of the cursed footballers who never won the trophy, Thierry Henry .

The second most veteran player in history to be proclaimed the best soccer player in the world is still Lev Yashin (at 34 in 1963), the first and only goalkeeper to win the Golden Ball. France Football corrects him from this edition with the delivery of another award to the goalkeepers. Cannavaro (2006) and the aforementioned Modric achieved glory at 33, with twilight stalking.

In Messi's time, one can only think of the old demon Matthews.

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Up to 30 players oppose the prize, with Leo Messi in the lead and ready to beat both Cristiano Ronaldo and Van Dijk again, as happened in 'The Best'. Benzema, Hazard, Griezmann, De Jong or Joao Felix also opt for the prize.

The best player of the year

There are 20 nominees, among which the American Megan Rapinoe, world champion and who comes to conquer the 'The Best'. His compatriot Alex Morgan, England's Lucy Bronze or Norway's Ada Hegerberg are also on the list.

The best young man

'France Football' delivers since 2018 the so-called Kopa Trophy to the best player under 21 years old. The Portuguese Joao Félix, the Dutchman De Ligt, the Nigerian from Villarreal Chukwueze or even the Brazilian Vinicius aspire to succeed Mbappé.

The best goalkeeper

The Golden Ball will reward a goalkeeper again. It will be in a specific category and under the name of the only one to win the prize, Lev Yashin. The applicants are Becker, Ter Stegen, Oblak, Lloris, Kepa, Onana, Neuer, Ederson, Handanovic and Szczesny.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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