The Super Golden Ball Between Myth and Reality

At every latitude, the Ballon d'Or is one of the awards that can generate the most animated debates and controversies; whether sitting in the bar of your local town or in the highest echelons of football, we are often not too fond of that spherical trophy. The fateful moment of the award, which arrives punctually every year, is not even covered with great magic: perhaps because the CR7-Messi head-to-head has dampened the enthusiasm that once hid behind this award, probably because the numerous leaks diminish that minimum of suspense and unpredictability that everyone hopes for, or perhaps because the illusion that Manuel Neuer, following his extraordinary season in 2014, could winv the award, will remain forever too bitter, especially for the romantics.

But who wins the Super Golden Ball?

Curiosities related to football never cease to amaze, and for this reason, we are sure that only a few were aware of the existence of the Super Golden Ball, also an invention of France Football, awarded only once in the history of football, on the distant December 24, 1989. For that edition, the best player of the last thirty years was awarded. 

The winner of the first edition (also the only one for now) was Alfredo Di Stéfano, followed on the podium respectively by Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini, players who had the only requirement to participate in the nomination: having won the Ballon d'Or more than once. That historic and extremely rare trophy, distinguished by a base made of pink stones, won by the former Real Madrid player (who managed to triumph because he held a Spanish passport), no longer belongs to the Di Stéfano family: it was put up for auction by his children and sold for a figure around £187,500.

If the French magazine decides not to interrupt the awarding of the prize, 2029, according to news reported by several international sources, would be the year indicated for the election of this prestigious award, which, needless to say, would most likely end up in the hands of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, although all the leaks up to this point point to Messi. Unlike the first edition, therefore, the second would cover a time span of about 40 years (1989-2029). Obviously just like in the case of the Ballon d'Or, in the next Super Golden Ball vote, all professional footballers, both non-European and European, will be considered.

Who votes for the Super Golden Ball?

It's very unlikely that the rules will remain the same as in the 1989 edition, where the voters were composed of a jury chosen specifically by France Football, Ballon d'Or-winning players, and a circle of newspaper readers. So, it's much easier to imagine that the voters can be, as in the case of the Ballon d'Or, journalists - one for each nation; in Italy, currently, Paolo Condò casts the vote. If the award date is confirmed, generational talents like Kylian Mbappé or Erling Braut Haaland would still have time to achieve a sporting feat, but the path seems to be downhill for either Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.