Omar Sívori, the last Argentine to win the Ballon d'Or before Messi
Before Messi but after Di Stefano, there was an Argentine player who won the Ballon d'Or.
It was only in 1995 that France Football removed the rule prohibiting non-European players from choosing to win the Ballon d'Or. From 1956 to 1994, all the winners were Europeans or nationalized Europeans. Obtaining European citizenship was the only way non-European players managed to win this award. One example was Alfredo Di Stéfano, an Argentine nationalized Spanish, and another was Omar Sívori, an Argentine nationalized Italian.
Alfredo Di Stéfano was the first Argentine to win the Ballon d'Or
Omar Sívori was born in 1935 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He began his sports career in one of the most important clubs in the world, River Plate. His professional debut was in 1954 when he was 19 years old. Although he was not a Central Forward, rather he was an attacking midfielder, and his goal-scoring average was that of a striker.
Omar Sívori played 3 seasons in River Plate, 63 games played, 29 goals (0.46 goals per game), and 3 Argentine league titles. His professional debut with the Argentine National Team was in 1956 (age 21). However, with the albiceleste, he only played 18 games and scored 9 goals but at least, he won the 1957 Copa América.
Omar Sívori played for River Plate for 3 seasons
For his age, Omar Sívori was a very talented player with an unimaginable future, which is why Juventus in Italy decided to buy him. The transfer was made in exchange for ten million pesos, a record figure for world football at the time, which was used by River to finish its stadium and turn it into the mythical Monumental. "I do not lose hope that in the future the grandstand that overlooks the Río de la Plata will change its name and take mine," Sívori confessed in 1972. "That grandstand should be called Enrique Omar Sívori. We must not forget that they built it with what they received for my pass to Italian football." His wish would finally materialize, but he would not get to see it, because it took place a few months after his death in 2005.
One of the stands of the River stadium has the name of Omar Sívori.
His period of adaptation to Italian football was not easy. In the first season, he was expelled on multiple occasions for reacting to Calcio's rough play. But Umberto Agnelli, owner of Fiat and president of the club, trusted Sívori and offered him his full support. Many Italian newspapers criticized the decision, but in the end, the bet on the Argentine player was a complete success. Omar Sívori became a Juventus legend. In total, he played 8 seasons, where he played 254 games, scored 167 goals (0.65 goals per game), and won 2 Italian Cups and 3 Serie A.
Omar Sívori is a Juventus legend
Omar Sívori, together with Giampiero Boniperti and the Welshman John Charles, formed the Magical Trio that revolutionized Italian football. In addition, the Argentine player was only 12 goals away from becoming the top scorer in the club's history. Although it would have been only a temporary record because players like Del Piero would overcome it later.
On an individual level, his greatest achievement was the 1961 Ballon d'Or. By then, Sívori had already obtained Italian citizenship and had even made his debut for the Italian national team. With 46 points, he surpassed the Spanish Luis Suárez from Inter, who got 40, and the English Jonnhy Haynes from Fulham, who got 22. He was the second naturalized European Argentine player to hold the award after the conquests of Alfredo Di Stéfano in 1957 and 1959.
Omar Sívori was the 1961 Ballon d'Or
His last 4 seasons as a professional were at Napoli. While his numbers weren't as impressive as at Juventus (15 goals in 71 games), Sívori helped Napoli to third place in the 1966 Italian league and a runner-up finish in 1968. Before Diego Maradona, Sívori was the most beloved Argentine in Naples. Finally, he retired in 1969 due to his constant knee injuries.
Omar Sívori earned the love of the Neapolitans
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