The best players seen
(Ballon d'Or winners)
Ranked by number of trophies / Year seen playing
Lionel Messi (Arg)
I saw Lionel Messi, 8 time winner of the Ballon d'Or (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023) playing 4 times: El Classico in 2012 was the most special match to see with a lot of stars. But I also saw him in his time in Paris at the Parc des Princes in 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Por)
Together with Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo was the best player of the World in the second decade of this century. I saw Cristiano Ronaldo in El Classico in 2012 when FC Barcelona kicked out Real Madrid of the Copa del Rey in Camp Nou. He won the ballon d'or 5 times (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017).
Marco van Basten (Ned)
Marco van Basten won the Ballon d'Or 3 times (1988, 1989, 1992). I saw him playing for the big team of AC Milan against PSV in 1992 as well as for Ajax in my first game ever at De Baandert in Sittard.
Ronaldo (Bra)
Ronaldo came as teenage world champion to PSV in 1994. I enjoyed his games for 2 seasons including his debut at Nieuw Monnikenhuize. Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or twice (1997 and 2002).
Ruud Gullit (Ned)
At AC Milan Ruud Gullit became the best player of the world in 1987 beating Diego Maradona´s Napoli in Serie A. At PSV I saw a couple of games of him. For example at Kaalheide in 1986 were he scored two goals.
Lothar Matthäus (Ger)
He was the most hated German player ever in the Netherlands mainly since his World Cup matches in 1990 when he also won the Ballon d'Or. I saw him playing in his last international match in De Kuip (Germany-Portual 0-3) and at PSV with FC Bayern München (both in season 1999/2000).
Zinédine Zidane (Fra)
Zinédine Zidane won the World Cup with France in 1998 when he also won the Ballon d'Or. I saw him playing only once: with the national team of France in preparation of the World Cup 2002 at the Stade de France.
Rivaldo (Bra)
Rivaldo met PSV with FC Barcelona in the Champions League in the 1997/1998 season as both teams where eliminated and I saw him during PSV's home game at the Philips Stadion. In 1999 Rivaldo won the Ballon d'Or.
Luis Figo (Por)
In the very same match as his team mate Rivaldo, I saw Luis Figo playing for FC Barcelona as well in the Philips Stadion. But I saw him also in the year 1996 in the UEFA Cup quarter finals where he scored when Barca beat PSV 2-3. The Portuguese player won the Ballon d'Or in the year 2000.
Pavel Nedved (Cze)
In 2003 Pavel Nedved won the Ballon d'Or. I saw him playing for his national team (Czech Republik) at the FIFA World Cup 2006 Tournament in Germany in the RheinEnergie Stadion in Cologne.
Andriy Shevchenko (Ukr)
I saw Andriy Shevchenko playing in the Champions League twice: for Dinamo Kiev he played a great match and scored in the Philips Stadion in 1997 and in 2005 he qualified with AC Milan for the final after a 3-1 defeat at PSV on away goals. He won the Ballon d'Or in 2004.
Ronaldinho (Bra)
As FC Barcelona player, Ronaldinho won the Ballon d'Or in 2005. I saw the Brazilian attacker playing four times in the Parc des Princes when I lived in Paris in 2002. All times as player of Paris Saint Germain.
Kaká (Bra)
Brazilian player Kaká won the Ballon d'Or in 2007. I watched him playing for AC Milan in the Champions League Semi final against PSV in 2005 as well as in El Classico in Barcelona in 2012 at Camp Nou.
Karim Benzema (Fra)
After Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká, Karim Benzema is the fourth player that won the Ballon d'Or (in 2022) and who I saw in the Copa del Rey Classico in 2012 in Camp Nou.
Rodri (Spa)
Spanish international player Rodri won the Ballon d'Or in 2024 after winning the Champions League with Manchester City in 2022. In that winning season I saw him in the Champions League group stage in the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund.
Ousmane Dembélé (Fra)
Ousmane Dembélé won the Ballon d'Or a bit surprisingly in the year 2025 after he won the Champions League with Paris Saint Germain that year. I saw him playing for FC Barcelona in 2018 in the Champions League when they beat PSV in Eindhoven 1-2.
