Can Lionel Messi Ever Win the Super Ballon d’Or, Awarded Only Once to Alfredo Di Stefano? Eligibility & Criteria For the Award Revealed

Lionel Messi will make history this Monday as he will become the first player in soccer history to win eight Ballon d’Or titles. However, despite the massive accolade, La Pulga has yet to get his hands on the biggest individual achievement. Throughout his career, Messi has broken and established new records, however, even with all his milestones, the Argentinian is still behind his legendary countryman Alfredo Di Stefano. While Lionel Messi has won a string of awards in his career, he’s never lifted the Super Ballon d’Or, which was awarded to Di Stefano in 1989.

The Super Ballon d’Or has been awarded just once in history, making Di Stefano its sole winner. The award, similar to the Ballon d’Or, is also awarded by the France Football Association. However, unlike the modern iteration, the Super Ballon d’Or has different eligibility & criteria.

Eligibility & criteria to win the Super Ballon d’Or

The rules and regulations surrounding the Ballon d’Or and the Super Ballon d’Or have changed with time. In its early days, the award was just for players featuring in European competitions. However, a reform was brought on in 1995 that allowed any player to lift the award. While the Ballon d’Or is given to the player with the most crucial contributions for a side in a calendar year, the Super Ballon d’Or is awarded to the player with the most notable contributions in three decades.

Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano won the only Super Ballon d’Or back in 1989. The Argentinian had a commendable era with Madrid during his eleven seasons with the club. Di Stefano helped Madrid clinch the Spanish first-division title eight times while netting over 300 goals for the club.

The Real Madrid icon was in contention for the Super Ballon d’Or, alongside some of the biggest names in the game. Yet, he piped the likes of Michel Platini, Dutch maestro Johan Cruyff, and Franz Beckenbauer to win the award. The award is decided by a voting system similar to the Ballon d’Or. However, here instead of journalists, former Ballon d’Or winners get a say in the votes.

However, it seems like history might change in the coming years. There have been numerous reports claiming that the French FA wants to reintroduce the Super Ballon d’Or. While there are many names who can stake their claim to the elusive award, Lionel Messi’s name stands out on top.

READ MORE: Not Ballon d’Or but Super Ballon d’Or is the Rarest Award in History, Awarded Just Once

Can Lionel Messi lift the Super Ballon d’Or?

There have been a lot of talks surrounding the Super Ballon d’Or as of late. Fans have been raving about Lionel Messi’s dominance, claiming that the Argentine star deserves to lift the elusive award. But, things are not as simple. The award is given to the best player from the last three decades. There is no denying the fact the Lionel Messi has left his mark on the game. However, there are a lot of other names who also deserve to get their hands on the title.

There has been no official announcement from France Football regarding bringing back the elusive title. Last awarded in 1989, there were some rumors that the French FA could reintroduce the award in 2029, but those are just rumors. The world of soccer has seen things change every passing day. Predicting a winner for a potential reward six years from now is like shooting an arrow in the dark.

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If the France FA brings back the award, Lionel Messi will surely be among the front runners to win the award. Do you think Messi deserves to win the Super Ballon d’Or? Let us know in the comments below.