Marcel "Marco" van Basten is a Dutch former football manager and player who played for Ajax and AC Milan, as well as the Netherlands national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he scored 300 goals in a high-profile career, but played his last match in 1993, at the age of 28, due to an ankle injury which forced him to announce his retirement two years later. He was later the head coach of Ajax and the Netherlands national team.
Van Basten celebrates his goal for Ajax to give the team a 2–0 lead in an eventual 8–2 win against Feyenoord in September 1983, following Gerald Vanenburg's corner. Edo Ophof (Ajax), Felix Gasselich (Ajax), André Hoekstra (Feyenoord) and goalkeeper Joop Hiele (Feyenoord) are the other players in the picture. The average age of the Ajax team at the time was roughly 22+1⁄2 years.
Van Basten lifting the 1987 KNVB Cup for Ajax.
The Ballon d'Or is an annual football award presented by French magazine France Football since 1956 to honour the player deemed to have performed the best over the previous season.
Gianni Rivera hoisting the 1969 Ballon d'Or.
Lionel Messi has won the most Ballons d'Or in history, with eight wins in three different decades. He is also the record holder for most consecutive wins, with four between 2009 and 2012.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or a record eighteen times, and is a five-time winner.