5 Oldest players to win the Ballon d'Or

#1 Sir Stanley Matthews (1956; 41 years, 10 months and 17 days)

Sir Stanley Matthews

There is a saying that all records are meant to be broken, but in terms of what Sir Stanley Matthews achieved, that is not likely to be the case. The Englishman, who won the inaugural edition of the Ballon d'Or, did so at the age of 41 and was incidentally just 2 months short of his 42nd birthday!

An electric right-winger with impeccable ball control, Matthews was virtually unstoppable on his day and was described by Franz Beckenbauer as unplayable. The Englishman also became the first player in history to be knighted whilst still playing, a record that still stands till date.

He is regarded as the greatest English player to have graced the sport and had a 33-year career in the top flight, a record that is unlikely to ever be broken. Matthews died in February 2000 aged 85 and is remembered till date as a pioneer of the sport, as he broke barriers and proved that age is just a number.