Lionel Messi is currently in pole position to lift the coveted title for the 8th time in his career. While this will be a big deal for the Argentine, if he were to win, the award is not the biggest individual accolade in soccer. Unknown to many fans, the Ballon d’Or is the second-highest award a player can earn in his career, with an appropriately named Super Ballon d’Or being at the top of the list.

The elusive award has been awarded just one time in the history of the sport, raising its value as one of the hardest awards to earn in soccer. Unlike the Ballon d’Or, which is given to the best soccer player from a calendar year, this grandiose trophy is awarded to the best player in three decades.

The history of the Super Ballon d’Or

Super Ballon d’Or was awarded just once in soccer history on 24 December 1989. The award was created by French Football to crown the best player for the past three decades. The trophy is a juiced-up version of the current-day Ballon d’Or with multiple tiny golden balls placed at the foot of the award.

It was presented just once in 1989 with France legend Michel Platini, the front-runner to win. Dutch legend Johan Cruyff, winner of the Ballon d’Or in 1971, 1973, and 1974 was also a key contender for the award. However, the duo was piped by Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano, who bagged the prestigious award.

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Di Stefano is, perhaps, Real Madrid’s oldest icon. The Argentine, during his 11 seasons with the club, was at the top of his game. Di Stefano was the leading goal scorer in the league for four consecutive seasons (1956-1959). He also helped the side bag eight first-division league titles, helping Madrid establish their dominance across Spain. The striker, during his time with the Los Blancos, finished with a staggering 308 goals, making him a symbol of the club’s dominance.

The award has not been presented ever since, with Alfredo Di Stefano becoming the sole winner. However, according to emerging reports, the French Football Association is planning to reintroduce the award.

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France Football considering bringing back the coveted award

Notably, back in the day, only European players were considered for contention for the Ballon d’Or. However, things have changed since then, with multiple non-European names lifting the coveted award. According to recent reports, France Football is now planning to reintroduce the Super Ballon d’Or once again in 2029.

Multiple names emerge as the frontrunners for the greatest individual accolade a player can win. Soccer has seen some big names in the past three decades, as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the Ballon d’Or awards, with the duo sharing twelve titles between themselves.

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Who do you think will win the award if it is re-introduced in 2029?