Football icon Johan Cruyff once named the footballer he believed would go on to win seven Ballon d'Ors and become the most decorated player in the award's history. Cruyff, who won the golden ball himself three times between 1971–1974, is one of the most influential men in the sport, whose ideologies have shaped the way in which football is played in the modern era.
Cruyff also had an incredible eye for talent as a coach, and long after he stepped back from any role on the sidelines, his blueprint on football remained. As did his ability to see who was going to be the next heir to the throne, with his prediction for Ballon d'Or domination playing out exactly as happened in reality.
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Cruyff Predicted Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Or Success
The Dutchman knew the Barcelona star would break the record for most wins
Speaking to Argentine publication Ole back in 2012, as per GOAL, Cruyff predicted that Barcelona legend Lionel Messi would become the winningest Ballon d'Or recipient in history and nearly guessed the exact number of golden balls the famous number 10 would finish his career with. Of course, Messi has established his legacy as one of, if not the greatest footballer to ever play the game, and Cruyff could see it coming long before it was ever cemented.
"He has already won two and he will be the player with the most Ballon d'Or's in history. Being the player that he is, he can still won many more. He will win five, six or seven."
At the time of Cruyff's words, Messi had just two Ballon d'Ors to his name, but would eventually go on to claim a staggering eight, one more than the former Ajax star predicted he would finish on. His last came in 2023 after he famously lifted the World Cup with Argentina the previous year. In doing so, Messi broke yet another record, as he became the first active MLS player to claim the trophy, having already made the move to Inter Miami by this point.