The Ballon d'Or is without doubt the most prestigious individual trophy in football. For a player to receive the award he or she has to produce outstanding performances throughout the year and maintain good behavior off and on the pitch.
To mold a player into a Ballon d'Or winner is not a walks in the park since it not only requires a lot of commitment from both the players themselves but also those close to them.
TeamKenya.co.ke takes a look at four youth academies that have produced the most Ballon d'Or winners.
Also Read: The Most Successful African Country on the Ballon D’or List
Sporting CP Youth Academy
The Portugal-based Sporting CP Youth Academy is arguably one of the most successful football academies in the world.
From Manuel Fernandez to Liedson, the academy has produced numerous successful footballers.
Apart from being a hotbed of talent, the club has also produced 2 Ballon d'Or winners in Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo.
Ronaldo has won the award five times, 2 less than the record winner Lionell Messi. He received the award in 2008, 2013, 2016, 2014 and 2017.
Former Portuguese winger Luis Figo who is also a product of the Sporting CP Youth Academy also managed to win the award once. Figo received the Ballon d'Or in 2000.
River Plate Youth Academy
Argentine-based River Plate Youth Academy is the other academy to have produced more than one Ballon d'Or winner.
Alfredo Di Stefano won the award in 1957 and 1959 while playing for European giants Real Madrid.
Omar Sivori on the other hand scooped the coveted award in 1961 while playing for Juventus.
Manchester United Youth Academy
Manchester United Youth Academy has also produced two Ballon d'Or winners.
Sir Bobby Charlton who is one of the greatest English players won the award in 1966 while George Best clinched it in 1968.
Kyiv Dynamo Youth Academy
Andriy Shevchenko won the award in 2004 while playing for AC Milan. He defeated the likes of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry to the award.
Another product of Dynamo Kiev Youth academy who has previously won the Ballon d'Or award is Oleh Blokhin. He bagged the award in 1975, becoming the first Ukrainian to achieve the incredible feat.
Also Read: The Youngest Players to Win The Ballon d'Or in Football History