Football's Golden Boot & Ball – answers and explanations
Here are the answers to all 15 questions in the Football's Golden Boot & Ball quiz, each with a short explanation. Test your knowledge of football's greatest players and their biggest honours. Haven't played yet? Take the quiz first and compare your score.
Play the quiz · 15 questions1. Who won the very first Ballon d'Or, awarded in 1956?
Answer: Stanley Matthews
England winger Stanley Matthews of Blackpool won the inaugural Ballon d'Or on 18 December 1956, edging Alfredo Di Stefano in the vote. At 41 he remains the oldest winner of the award.
2. Which player has won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards?
Answer: Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi holds the record with eight Ballon d'Or titles, the last in 2023; Cristiano Ronaldo is next with five. Later winners include Rodri in 2024 and Ousmane Dembele in 2025.
3. Which club signed Neymar in 2017 in the world's most expensive transfer?
Answer: Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain triggered Neymar's release clause to sign him from Barcelona for 222 million euros in August 2017, a world record that still stood in 2026.
4. Who scored the infamous 'Hand of God' goal at the 1986 World Cup?
Answer: Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona punched the ball past England keeper Peter Shilton in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final in Mexico City, later calling it the 'Hand of God'; he then scored the 'Goal of the Century' in the same match.
5. Which defender won the 2006 Ballon d'Or after captaining Italy to the World Cup?
Answer: Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro captained Italy to the 2006 World Cup title in Berlin and won that year's Ballon d'Or, finishing ahead of Gianluigi Buffon and Thierry Henry. He was only the third defender to take the award, after Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer.
6. Pele is the only player to win how many World Cups as a player?
Answer: Three
Pele remains the only player to have won three World Cups, lifting the trophy with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970. He was just 17 at the 1958 tournament in Sweden, where he scored twice in the final.
7. Which Dutch legend won three straight European Cups at Ajax, then joined Barcelona?
Answer: Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff helped Ajax win three European Cups in a row in 1971, 1972 and 1973, scoring both goals against Inter in the 1972 final, then moved to Barcelona in August 1973 for a world-record fee.
8. Which club did Cristiano Ronaldo join in 2009 for a then world-record fee?
Answer: Real Madrid
Real Madrid signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United in 2009 for a then world-record £80m (about €94m), announced on 11 June with the move effective 1 July. He went on to become Madrid's all-time top scorer.
9. Which 1995 Ballon d'Or winner later became President of Liberia?
Answer: George Weah
George Weah won the 1995 Ballon d'Or while at AC Milan, the first and still only African winner, and later served as President of Liberia from January 2018 to 2024.
10. Who scored a hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup final for England?
Answer: Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst of West Ham scored three goals in England's 4-2 extra-time win over West Germany at Wembley on 30 July 1966, including the disputed 'ghost goal'. Martin Peters scored the other goal; Hurst's feat was only matched by Kylian Mbappe in 2022.
11. Who holds the record for most goals in men's international football?
Answer: Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the men's international scoring record with 146 goals for Portugal, well ahead of Lionel Messi (126) and Ali Daei (108). He scored his first Portugal goal at Euro 2004.
12. Which Croatia midfielder won the 2018 Ballon d'Or?
Answer: Luka Modric
Luka Modric won the 2018 Ballon d'Or after leading Real Madrid to a third straight Champions League title and captaining Croatia to the World Cup final, ending a decade of Messi and Ronaldo dominance.
13. FIFA's award for the goal of the year is named after which Hungarian legend?
Answer: Ferenc Puskas
The FIFA Puskas Award, created in 2009, honours Ferenc Puskas, the Hungary captain and Real Madrid star who scored 84 goals in 85 internationals. It is given for the most beautiful goal of the year.
14. Which club did Zinedine Zidane join from Juventus in a 2001 record transfer?
Answer: Real Madrid
Zinedine Zidane joined Real Madrid from Juventus in July 2001 for about 77.5 million euros, a world record that stood for eight years. He won the Champions League in 2002 with a famous volley in the final.
15. Which French striker won the 2022 Ballon d'Or while playing for Real Madrid?
Answer: Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema won the Ballon d'Or on 17 October 2022 in Paris after leading Real Madrid to the Champions League and La Liga double, scoring 44 goals in 46 games. He was the first French winner since Zinedine Zidane in 1998.