Full list of Ballon d’Or winners in World Cup years

The Ballon d'Or, football's most prestigious individual award, has often been influenced by performances in World Cups. Players like Raymond Kopa, Bobby Charlton, and Zinedine Zidane won the prize after World Cup successes. However, notable exceptions exist, such as Diego Maradona in 1986, who was not awarded despite his brilliant tournament. More recently, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or without their teams excelling in World Cups.