The Ballon d'Or organisers have clarified that players can win the award without claiming any silverware with their clubs or national teams. The award committee stressed that individual brilliance on the pitch matters far more than collective trophy wins.
In a statement, the organisers listed six players across history who've earned the honour despite trophyless seasons. Such achievements remain exceptionally rare.
Stanley Matthews became the first to win the award in 1956 without securing a team title that calendar year. Denis Law matched the feat in 1964, the organisers noted.
Gerd Müller scored 10 goals at the 1970 World Cup yet still won the award despite his team finishing third. Kevin Keegan achieved the same in 1978, followed by Luis Figo in 2000.
Cristiano Ronaldo remains the most recent player to accomplish this in 2013. That was 11 editions ago, according to the statement.
The award has been determined by sporting season rather than calendar year since 2022. This change potentially affects how voters assess contenders without major trophies.
Current frontrunners Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland could become the seventh and eighth players to win without team silverware this season. Neither has claimed a major trophy so far.
