The greatest football players ever – Who were the greatest?

Posted On September 25, 2021

Five players have been honoured with the prestigious Ballon d’Or award for their achievements at the World Cup and beyond.

The list was announced at a ceremony in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday (local time).

The award will be presented to the players of the world’s most successful football club from each of the five continents – Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany and Spain – who were instrumental in making the tournament a success.

A total of 15 players were honoured, with Argentina’s Lionel Messi earning the honour.

Brazilian superstar Neymar and Brazil’s Luiz Gustavo are among the other winners.

In a bid to highlight the impact of the tournament on footballing history, the ceremony was streamed live on BBC Sport website.BBC Sport will unveil the Ballon D’Or nominees on Thursday.