68 de puncte: cel mai bun rezultat al României la Balonul de Aur

The 70th Ballon d'Or will be awarded in London this fall, marking the first time the event is held outside Paris. No Romanian players are among the 30 finalists, a trend that has become statistically normal. The closest a Romanian player has come to winning was Gheorghe Hagi in 1994, who scored 68 points, placing him fourth. Hagi's performance at the 1994 World Cup, where he scored three goals, contributed to his high ranking. Since then, only twelve Romanian players have received points, with Adrian Mutu being the last in 2003. The current football landscape makes it challenging for Romanian players to be nominated, as they must play for clubs that reach the Champions League knockout stages and maintain a starting position. Cristian Chivu has found success as a coach but is not nominated this year. The competition features diverse candidates, with collective results heavily influencing the voting criteria.