Pelé and Diego Maradona are widely regarded as two of the most influential footballers in the history of the sport. While both enjoyed extraordinary careers, won major international titles and achieved global recognition, neither received the traditional Ballon d’Or during their playing years. The reason was the eligibility rules that governed the award for several decades.
Introduced by French magazine France Football in 1956, the Ballon d’Or initially recognised the best footballer playing in Europe. However, its eligibility criteria were restricted to European nationals, meaning players from South America and other continents could not be considered, even if they were playing for European clubs.
Pelé, who represented Brazil, spent much of his career with Santos. He won three FIFA World Cups with the national team in 1958, 1962 and 1970, becoming the only player to achieve that feat. Despite his performances at club and international level, he remained ineligible for the Ballon d’Or throughout his playing career.
Maradona, who represented Argentina, also played for several European clubs, including Barcelona, Napoli and Sevilla, but the original Ballon d’Or rules continued to exclude him because he was not a European national.
His 1986 campaign was among the most significant of his career. Maradona captained Argentina to victory at the FIFA World Cup in Mexico, scoring five goals during the tournament. However, he could not compete for that year's Ballon d’Or, which was awarded to Soviet footballer Igor Belanov.
The award's eligibility rules eventually changed. In 1995, France Football opened the competition to players of all nationalities, provided they played for European clubs. Liberian forward George Weah became the first non-European winner that year.
In 2007, the rules were expanded further, allowing players of any nationality playing for clubs anywhere in the world to be considered.
Although neither Pelé nor Maradona received a traditional Ballon d’Or during their careers, both were subsequently recognised through honorary awards. Maradona received the Ballon d’Or d’Honneur in 1995, while Pelé was presented with the FIFA Ballon d’Or Prix d’Honneur in 2013.
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