4. George Best – 22 years old, 7 months 2 days (1968)
George Best was once recognized as the best player in European football thanks to the success he achieved with Manchester United in 1968. The Northern Irish legend scored 32 goals in 53 appearances in all competitions. won the title of “FWA’s best player of the year”, and was also the youngest player to receive the Golden Boot award of the First Division (predecessor of the English Premier League) at that time.
George Best won the Golden Ball title for Manchester United.
George Best was the difference when Manchester United first reached the top of Europe. The Northern Irish legend scored the decisive goal in the semi-finals to help Sir Matt Busby’s team defeat Real Madrid before continuing to shoot in the final against Benfica. He, along with Bobby Charlton and Denis Law, became the holy trinity and had a statue built at Old Trafford.
3. Lionel Messi – 22 years old, 5 months 7 days (2009)
This morning, Lionel Messi officially won his 8th Golden Ball, after leading Argentina to win the 2022 World Cup. The first time he received this title was in 2009, after a successful season with Barcelona with a winning three under coach Pep Guardiola.
Messi received the Golden Ball title for the first time in 2009.
That year, Lionel Messi scored 38 goals in all competitions to help the Catalan team win La Liga and Copa del Rey before defeating Manchester United in the Champions League final.
The 1987-born superstar scored the second goal in the final in Rome, to become the first Argentine player to win the Ballon d’Or since voting was opened to non-European players in the mid-20s. 1990.
2. Michael Owen – 22 years, 4 days (2001)
Michael Owen is the second youngest player to win the Ballon d’Or when he was awarded the award just four days after his 22nd birthday. The England legend was named Europe’s Best Player after leading Liverpool to win the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup.
Michael Owen had a successful year with Liverpool.
2001 was a successful year for Michael Owen when he scored in two finals, including a double against Arsenal to help Liverpool successfully come from behind, thereby winning the FA Cup championship. In the national team shirt, he also made a certain reputation, for example, scoring a hat-trick to help the “Three Lions” defeat Germany 5-1 right at the Olympiastadion in Munich.
1. Ronaldo de Lima – 21 years, 3 months, 5 days (1997)
Ronaldo de Lima holds the record as the youngest player to receive the Golden Ball. The first time he won this award, the Brazilian legend was only 21 years old.
“Fat” Ronaldo is the youngest name to ever receive the Golden Ball.
That was the season that witnessed the terrible rise of “fat” Ronaldo. He scored 47 goals in 49 appearances in all competitions, contributing to another treble for the Catalan team, including the Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, before Inter Milan broke it. world transfer record to sign the Brazilian legend.
He continued to show formidable scoring form with 34 goals in all competitions in his first season moving to Serie A. Serious knee problems prevented Ronaldo from reaching his true potential.
Huy Truong | 07:20 October 31, 2023
