Benzema Absent at 2022 WC : The reigning France Football Ballon d’Or holder will not play at a FIFA World Cup tournament for the third time in history after France striker Karim Benzema was ruled out of the 2022 World Cup , GhanaSportsMarket.com researchers have revealed.
Alfredo Di Stefano, Ballon d’Or winner of 1957, was the first reigning winner of the prestigious award not to have played at a World Cup finals as his national team Spain failed to qualify for the 1958 World Cup hosted by Sweden.
The second current holder of the Ballon d’Or to miss an immediate World Cup tournament was Allan Simonsen, winner of the 1977 edition of the Ballon d’Or but unfortunately Allan would not go to Argentina 1978 as Denmark did not qualify for the World Cup in that year.
For the first time in 44 years , the reigning holder of football’s biggest individual accolade , will not play at the immediate World Cup tournament after his Ballon d’Or coronation.
List of players who played at the World Cup finals as winners of the last Ballon d’Or organized as put together by GhanaSportsMarket.com :
Omar Sivori ; Played at 1962 WC with Italy as holder of the 1961 Ballon d’Or
Eusebio ; Played at 1966 WC with Portugal as winner of the 1965 Ballon d’Or
Gianni Rivera ; Played at 1970 WC with Italy as winner of the 1969 Ballon d’Or
Johan Cruyff ; Played at 1974 WC with Netherlands as winner of the 1973 Ballon d’Or. Cruyff also won the 1974 Ballon d’Or in December 1974.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge ; Played at 1982 WC with West Germany as winner of the 1981 Ballon d’Or.
Michel Platini ; Played at 1986 WC with France as winner of the 1985 Ballon d’Or.
Marco van Basten ; Played at 1990 WC with Netherlands as winner of the 1989 Ballon d’Or.
Roberto Baggio ; Played at 1994 WC with Italy as winner of the 1993 Ballon d’Or.
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima ; Played at 1998 WC with Brazil as winner of the 1997 Ballon d’Or.
Michael Owen ; Played at 2002 WC with England as winner of the 2001 Ballon d’Or.
Ronaldinho ; Played at 2006 WC with Brazil as winner of the last Ballon d’Or organized in 2005.
Lionel Messi ; Played at 2010 WC with Argentina as winner of the 2009 Ballon d’Or.
Cristiano Ronaldo ; Played at 2014 WC with Portugal as winner of the 2013 Ballon d’Or.
Cristiano Ronaldo ; Played at 2018 WC with Portugal as winner of the 2017 Ballon d’Or.
For the 2022 FIFA World Cup , the winner of the last Ballon d’Or organized Karim Benzema will not be present after he was ruled out of the competition on the eve of the 2022 Mundial.
However we are set to see three past winners of the Ballon d’Or play at the Qatar 2022 World Cup finals ; seven-time winner Lionel Messi who last won the award in 2021 , five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo who last clinched the Ballon d’Or in 2017 and the 2018 winner Luka Modric.
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