Who was the last goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or?

The Ballon d'Or has historically not been an award which celebrates the party poopers; those tasked with limiting the flair and preventing all the fun stuff from happening.

Since 1956, 50 forwards (including wingers) have been named as the world's best player. 12 midfielders have claimed the lucrative honour, while only four defenders have forced voters to complete a full 180.

In Ballon d'Or history, just one goalkeeper has got his hands on the award. The sport certainly hasn't been bereft of superstar shot-stoppers over the years, although the unprecedented victor never saw another positional contemporary triumph again before his death in 1990.

A goalkeeper's got to be ever so special to get their hands on football's most prestigious individual honour, and some have come close since the pioneering victor of 1963.

Who was the last goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or?

While goal-getters and playmakers have historically dominated Ballon d'Or voting, several goalkeepers have enjoyed yearly performances which were simply too stout to ignore.

The likes of Oliver Kahn, Manuel Neuer and Gianluigi Buffon have all claimed top-three finishes in the 21st century, while Thibaut Courtois and Alisson have been regular nominees in recent times. However, only one has gone on to win the illustrious prize.

Soviet legend Lev Yashin remains the most recent and only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or, doing so in 1963 ahead of Gianna Rivera, who helped Milan win their maiden European Cup that year, and prolific Tottenham and England striker Jimmy Greaves.

Why did Lev Yashin win the Ballon d'Or in 1963?

Yashin, who was known for his intimidating all-black kit and was nicknamed Black Spider or Black Panther as a result, helped redefine the art of goalkeeping in his era, taking the position to new levels and making it more recognisable as what we now know today.

Tall and athletic, he had agility and great positional sense, as well as being a specialist penalty saver.

In 1963 in particular, he helped Dynamo Moscow become Soviet champions for the fifth time in his career, was named in World XIs by both World Soccer magazine and FIFA, and turned in a star performance in a famous England vs Rest of the World exhibition at Wembley.

Aged 34, Yashin made a number of saves in that game - several to deny Ballon d'Or rival Greaves from winning it for England - that really underlined his status as the best in the world and brought him to even greater international attention in an era long before 24-hour international media.

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