“There is no young and old, only victory or failure,” Antonio Conte once said.
Wise words, and ones that ring true for the Ballon d’Or. Awarded by France Football since 1956, the prestigious prize recognizes the world’s best player regardless of age, with stars in their 20s, 30s and even 40s having earned the honor.
While many winners have claimed the golden trophy during their peak years, a select few have continued to outperform their rivals well beyond the age when most players begin to decline.
Here are the oldest Ballon d’Or winners of all time.
TEST YOUR BALLON D’OR KNOWLEDGE WITH SI FC’S QUICKFIRE QUIZZES
• 8 Minute Quiz: Name Every Winner of the Ballon d’Or—It’s Harder Than You Think
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10. Pavel Nedved
Age: 31
Winning Year: 2003
The greatest season of Pavel Nedved’s career is often remembered as a snub of Thierry Henry, but the Czech star was simply sensational, almost single-handedly dragging Juventus to the 2003 Champions League final.
Having replaced Zinedine Zidane in Turin, Nedved stepped up when it mattered most, helping swing the decisive second legs of both the quarterfinals and semifinals.
But just as he looked set to lead Juventus to glory, a suspension ruled him out of the final. Without their talisman, Juventus fell to AC Milan in a dismal penalty shootout defeat.
9. Josef Masopust
Age: 31
Winning Year: 1962
As Josef Masopust celebrated his opening goal in the 1962 World Cup final against Brazil, he may already have been thinking about that evening’s celebrations. It was his wife’s birthday, and the pair had loosely planned a joint party.
However, Brazil soon erased Czechoslovakia’s lead. Despite a quiet performance from tournament star Garrincha, who was suffering from a fever, Brazil came back to win 3-1. Masopust missed out on the World Cup, but he had another gift for his wife: the Ballon d’Or, which he could present to her as a belated birthday present.
8. Cristiano Ronaldo
Age: 32
Winning Year: 2017
Cristiano Ronaldo’s relentless dedication to his physical condition helped extend his peak well beyond that of a typical athlete. Even into his 30s, he remained a remarkably consistent goal scorer for both club and country.
However, Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or just twice since turning 30, with his final triumph coming in 2017 at the age of 32.
7. Fabio Cannavaro
Age: 33
Winning Year: 2006
Fabio Cannavaro won the Ballon d’Or in 2006 after captaining Italy to World Cup glory.
His commanding displays for club and country earned him the prestigious award, and he remains the last defender to claim the prize.
6. Luka Modric
Age: 33
Winning Year: 2018
Just five years before ending Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s decade-long dominance of the Ballon d’Or in 2018, Luka Modrić received a far less flattering individual distinction.
Midway through his debut season at Real Madrid, a poll by Spanish publication Marca named Modrić and Barcelona’s Alex Song the worst signings in La Liga.
Looking back, at least half of that verdict aged terribly.
5. Alfredo Di Stefano
Age: 33
Winning Year: 1959
The driving force behind Real Madrid’s legendary team that won the first five European Cups in the late 1950s, Alfredo Di Stéfano is widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer forwards of all time.
He won two Ballon d’Or awards, in 1957 and 1959, with his second triumph coming at the age of 33.
4. Lev Yashin
Age: 34
Winning Year: 1963
The only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d’Or, Lev Yashin claimed the award in 1963, just a year after facing fierce criticism for his role in the Soviet Union’s early exit from the 1962 World Cup.
Yashin had led Dynamo Moscow to their first league title in four years, but the award was likely recognition of his remarkable career as a whole, which reportedly included more than 100 penalty saves.
3. Karim Benzema
Age: 35
Winning Year: 2022
Karim Benzema finally stepped out of Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow at Real Madrid to claim the Ballon d’Or in 2022 at the age of 35, capping a remarkable career with a long-awaited individual honor.
To make the moment even sweeter, Benzema’s childhood idol, Zinedine Zidane, presented him with the award, adding a special touch to a prize that had been a long time coming.
2. Lionel Messi
Age: 36
Winning Year: 2023
At 35, after finishing his debut season at Paris Saint-Germain with six Ligue 1 goals—fewer than 43 players in the French top flight—Messi didn’t even make the shortlist for the 2022 Ballon d’Or.
One year later, he led Argentina to World Cup glory and claimed a record-extending eighth golden orb.
1. Stanley Matthews
Age: 41
Winning Year: 1956
A yawning 24 years after making his professional debut, Stanley Matthews won the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956.
The ultimate tricky winger extended his playing career until he was 50 after losing some of his prime years to World War II.
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