It’s fair to say that United fans haven’t been required to pay much attention to the Ballon d'Or in recent seasons. Sure, a United player might come up on the nominations list from time to time – Andre Onana is the last senior player to have done so – and youngsters like Kobie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho have been nominated for the Kopa Trophy, i.e., the youth award. But by and large, United haven’t bothered the voting list since Cristiano Ronaldo’s first stint at the club.
Of course, they have had plenty of history with the award. One of the most notable years was 1999. The year looms large in the consciousness of every United fan, and it feels normal that was recognition for the players and manager (Ferguson won UEFA Coach of the Year). Yet, the Ballon d’Or voting in 1999 also recognized how much of a team effort Fergie’s men required to become legends.
Voting is still a bit archaic.
Ballon d’Or voting was – and remains – a bit archaic and secretive. It’s not quite like the votes for the best players in the NFL, for instance, where fans can check the NFL MVP odds throughout the season. In 1999, you read about the vote in the papers the next day, and there were always many surprises. One thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, the surprise was arguably just how many United players received votes.
Rivaldo (Barcelona) led the voting, which is difficult to argue. However, David Beckham was not far behind in second place. Becks received 154 votes to Rivaldo’s 219, which was relatively close. Andriy Shevchenko, Gabriel Batistuta, and Luis Figo came in 3rd, 4th, and 5th, respectively, followed by Roy Keane with 38 votes in 6th.
Keane’s placing was an interesting one. He was probably United’s most important player throughout the Treble-winning campaign. And we should remember that he went on to win the PFA Player of the Year the following season. As such, you can argue that he should have received more votes. Perhaps overall, Keane deserved more recognition from abroad.
Stam gets recognition
A little bit further down the list, we got Dwight Yorke and Jaap Stam. Yorke’s inclusion was unsurprising, given his exploits in front of goal for United. It would be part of his brief flirtation with greatness, and Yorke would not bother such lists in any other season. Stam certainly deserved inclusion, although voting for defenders in those days wasn't fashionable.
Peter Schmeichel was 17th in the voting, receiving six votes in total. Again, you might argue that he vied with Keane as United’s most important player at the time. Indeed, the Great Dane was the most irreplaceable member of the squad. Further down, we got Ryan Giggs in 21st place and three votes overall. Towards the bottom, we had the final member of United’s triumphant Treble-winning team to receive votes – Andy Cole with a solitary vote.
The fact seven United players made the list is remarkable, yet perhaps unsurprising when you consider what happened in the months before. That was part of the secret of Ferguson’s success in that era: There was never a single player about whom you said “that guy” is why we win. Even a few seasons beforehand, there was so much focus on Eric Cantona as the talisman. Yet, in 1999, it was a team that made United great, and that was reflected in the Ballon d'Or votes.
