Brazil got used to being champions with the best players in the world in the squad, and in 1994 and 2002, the situation was literal. The country took home the World cup and recognition from FIFA.
The first Brazilian double was in 1994, the year of four-time championship in the United States led by the genius of Romário. The player was voted the best player of the tournament and took home FIFA The Best.
In the national team, there were seven games – all as a starter, and five goals. Romário was runner-up at the World Cup and scored in every phase.
In Barcelona the phase was also exceptional. In the 1993/1994 season Romário played 33 games and scored 30 goals. He received an award as the country’s top scorer and scored five hat-tricks in the season, one of them against Real Madrid.
History repeated itself in 2002, no penta. Even discredited, Ronaldo shut up the critics who questioned him after his serious injuries. He scored the two goals that clinched the title in the grand final against Germany, when he became the greatest scorer in World Cup history up to that point.
In total, Ronaldo scored eight goals in the World Cup, in almost every phase – he only missed out in the quarterfinals. From the brilliant World Cup, he went directly to the historic Galacticos team at Real Madrid,
Why did it take so long?
The fact that a Brazilian player was only recognized as the best in the world after the 1990s raises questions: why the delay, since we had the best in the world in the 1958, 1962 and 1970 campaigns? The explanation is purely bureaucratic.
During the period in which the King of Football paraded all his genius on the fields of Brazil and the world, only European players competed for the Ballon d’Or. In other words, France Football “ignored” players from other continents between 1956 and 1995. Pelé said goodbye to the pitch in October 1977.
Because of this, historic names in football did not have the opportunity to compete for the award, such as Maradona, Garrincha and Zico.
The Best was created after these titles, in 1991.
Ballon d’Or “recognizes” Pelé
In 2015, the traditional French magazine took advantage of its 60th anniversary edition to review the entire list of champions and, with the current rules, began to recognize former athletes as champions as well.
As a result, Pelé, who left us in 2022 at the age of 82, was recognized as the winner on seven occasions: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964 and 1970. In addition to Pelé, the France Footballl also recognized that Garrincha, in 1962, and Romário, in 1994, would have won the award.
FIFA The Best x Ballon d’Or
The prizes are confusing, but they are not the same. Created in 1956 by the French magazine France Football, the Ballon d’Or is the oldest, most traditional and most prestigious individual award in football. Considers the European season, from August to July.
The Best was created by FIFA in 1991. Formerly called “Player of the Year”, it was renamed in 2016, and analyzes performance in a year from January to December.
It is worth remembering that, between 2010 and 2015, both awards were unified, becoming known as the FIFA Ballon d’Or. However, the partnership ended in 2016, when they began to be carried out separately again.
