From Luis Suarez won the Golden Ball in 1960 for this prize which he won Rodrigo Hernández 64 years have passed. At that time, Spanish football did not receive any recognition at this level and it will not be because good players did not succeed. Now, with this recognition, the most unexpected, some justice is done to the many disappointments and, why not say it, that our players have received over these decades.
The first one who was able to win and didn’t win was Amancio Amarocame third in 1964, the year Spain won his first European Championship. In this edition, Luis Suárez conquered the silver ballwhile the golden ball fell into the hands of Denis Loi.
You have to go back to the 80s to see a Spanish player have a chance of winning the title again. Golden Ball. Was Emilio Butragueñowho won two consecutive Bronze Balls in 1986 and 1987. Belanov And Gullit They won it in these editions.
With the arrival of the new century, Raúl Gonzalez was called to win the Ballon d’Or in 2021, but in a similar maneuver, although not of the same magnitude, as we experienced in this edition with Vinicius And Rodrigo, The winner ultimately was Owen, who at that time was active in the Liverpool.
The best generation without price
And after all these years, the greatest injustice has arrived. The one who says that the best generation of Spanish footballers in history has remained without any recognition. In 2008, after the European Cup who won Spain, Fernando Torres finished third, overtaken by Messi And Christian. The following year, it was Xavi who occupied this place with identical protagonists in front.
However, the great injustice came in 2010. Spain won the South Africa World Cupbut Messi was Golden Ball. Few people understood Iniesta’s second position and Xavi. The following year was Terrace third, while in 2012, this position was given to the man who scored the goal of our lives on July 11, 2010.
