Why has German football fought with the ball of OR?

German football has trophies, success and even the gold generation of 2014, yet a superstar is still missing capable of breaking through to win the ball of OR.

Almost three decades have passed since Matthias Sammer got the prize in 1996. Since then, despite being one of the most successful and resilient football nations in the world, Germany has been absent from the podium. The golden eras of Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge now feel far away, leaving a difficult void to fill.

So why have German players, despite playing in the biggest games, were unable to claim the most prestigious individual football prize?

A collective splendor, not the individual spotlights

Germany’s success at the club and national level cannot be denied. Bayern Munich won the Champions League three times since 2001 and the national team triumphed at the 2014 World Cup with a controlled and balanced style. Yet these victories rarely revolved around a prominent player.

While Spain had Xavi, Iniesta and Messi defined an era for Barcelona and Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo embodied the greatness of Portugal, the power of Germany was in collective force. That same identity meant that it often lacked the type of individual dazzling narrative that oscillates the Ballon d’or voters.

The prize has long been dominated by attacking the players. Apart from rare exceptions such as Fabio Cannavaro (2006) and Rodri (2024), most of the winners have been strikers or glamorous stars attackers. After Miroslav Klose, Germany was missing from a world -class striker who could command the spotlight. Thomas Müller, a masterful raumdouter (space interpreter), has been seen as a system player rather than a global icon. Toni Kroos, throughout his tactical brilliance and consistency, has never had the theatrical aura that the golden ballon often requires.

The goalkeepers Oliver Kahn (2001, 2002) and Manuel Neuer (2014) pushed the boundaries of their position, but both have reached the peak in third place. The Neuer 2014 campaign was particularly significant: he won the World Cup and the Golden Glove, while Messi lost the final, but the Argentine still finished above him, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo. Ballon d’or’s prejudice towards Flair’s attack has left little space for German stars in less glamorous roles.

Germany also fell victim to the Duopoly of Messi-Ronaldo. From 2008 to 2023, only Luka Modric (2018) and Rodri (2024) broke through, while the rest of the era belonged to the two icons. Even with the 2014 German gold generation, no single player exceeds their domain.

A new dawn with a new generation

With Messi and Ronaldo no longer axes among the first three, the door opened again for Germany. Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz now bring the hopes of the nation.

The elegance, technique and creative spark of Musiala make him the growing director of Bayern. The lesions may have slowed it down, but its potential remains intact. Wirtz, the prodigy of Leverkusen who now shines in Liverpool, has proven to be a leader capable of dictating games at the highest levels. His intelligence, creativity and talent in great games make him a contender genuine in the coming years.

If one of the two can explode in the Champions League or on the international phase, the German awaited of another Ballon d’Or or could finally end.

Germany once produced legends that defined the history of football. For almost 30 years, however, he has endured a spell in the largest individual breed of sport, summoned by a collective ethos, a shortage of stars forward and the shadow of Messi and Ronaldo.

But football is cyclical. While one era closes, another starts. If Musiala, Wirtz or another nascent star can rise beyond the team and leave an indelible individual mark, German football could soon return to the highest stage of Ballon d’Or.

Sources: Znews

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