With the announcement of the 2024 Ballon d’Or winners coming soon, we discuss why defenders and goalkeepers find it hard to win the Ballon d’Or.
The Ballon d’Or is one of the most prestigious individual awards in soccer, given to the best football player in the world each year. However, if you look at the list of past winners, you’ll notice something odd: most of them are forwards or attacking midfielders. Only a handful of defenders and just one goalkeeper (Lev Yashin in 1963) have ever won the Ballon d’Or. This raises the question: why is it so hard for defenders and goalkeepers to win the Ballon d’Or?
Attackers Get the Spotlight
One of the main reasons defenders and goalkeepers struggle to win the Ballon d’Or is because attacking players tend to grab the headlines. Scoring goals is one of the most exciting parts of the game, and attackers are usually the players responsible for delivering those memorable moments. Players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the award for over a decade, not just because they’re great, but because they consistently produce goals, assists, and game-changing plays. These moments are what fans remember, and they’re often the deciding factors in awarding individual honors.
Defenders and goalkeepers, on the other hand, usually don’t have those highlight-reel moments. Their jobs are more about stopping the opposition, something that’s crucial for the team but doesn’t always stand out. While a last-ditch tackle or a game-saving save is impressive, it doesn’t capture the imagination in the same way as a 30-yard screamer into the top corner. As a result, defenders and goalkeepers don’t get the same level of recognition as their attacking counterparts.
Stats Don’t Tell the Whole Story
In modern football, statistics have become a huge part of how players are judged. Attackers can easily be measured by their goals and assists, and these numbers are easy to compare. But for defenders and goalkeepers, it’s much harder to put a value on their performances. How do you measure a defender’s ability to read the game or a goalkeeper’s leadership from the back? While clean sheets (no goals conceded) are one metric, they rely on the whole team, not just one player.
This makes it difficult for voters to compare defenders and goalkeepers to forwards, who have clear, eye-catching numbers in their favor. The truth is, it’s a lot easier to vote for a player who’s scored 50 goals in a season than one who’s made countless blocks or saves that don’t show up on a stat sheet.
The Few That Have Won
While it’s rare, there have still been a few defenders to win the Ballon d’Or. The only goalkeeper to ever win the Ballon d’Or was the legendary Lev Yashin in 1963. Known as “The Black Spider,” Yashin was famous for his incredible shot-stopping ability and commanding presence in goal. His win remains a historic moment for goalkeepers everywhere. There was another goalkeeper to go close, Italian Dino Zoff was second in 1973.
As for defenders, the last one to win the award was Fabio Cannavaro in 2006. Cannavaro led Italy to World Cup glory that year, putting in a series of incredible performances as Italy conceded just two goals for the entire tournament. Before him, only a couple of other defenders, like Franz Beckenbauer, have managed to break the trend and take home the award (he won it twice, in 1972 and 1976).
The Evolution of the Game
The modern game has become more attacking, with more emphasis on scoring goals than ever before. Teams prioritize possession, quick passing, and creativity in the final third, which puts even more focus on the players responsible for making those plays. As a result, it becomes even harder for defenders and goalkeepers to stand out.
But that doesn’t mean defenders and goalkeepers aren’t as valuable – they’re just as important as attackers, if not more so. After all, teams can’t win without a solid defensive group. A world-class defender or goalkeeper can change the outcome of a game or even a season. However, the way the game is watched, analyzed, and judged tends to favor attacking players, leaving defenders and goalkeepers on the outside when it comes to individual awards.
Will Things Ever Change?
So, will we ever see another defender or goalkeeper win the Ballon d’Or? It’s hard to say. There have been calls to create separate awards for different positions, but for now, the Ballon d’Or remains focused on all players. To break through, a defender or goalkeeper would likely need to have an extraordinary season, perhaps leading their team to a major title like the World Cup or Champions League while putting in standout performances.
In the end, the nature of the game itself makes it harder for defenders and goalkeepers to claim the Ballon d’Or. But whether they win the award or not, their contributions remain just as vital to the success of their teams. And while attackers may continue to dominate the headlines, true soccer fans know that defense wins championships.
