Vinícius Júnior

[Maradona37]

Bdor was already a big thing, way before Messi-Ronaldo era. Why would footballer always present their prize in front of the whole stadium? You think Bdor before was just like Player of the match or something.

A lot players dream of being the best footballer, also meaning they can get their hand on Bdor since it is the biggest individual award in football.

There were many debates, discussions before too. Just because less of internet and no social media. I still remember how shocked i was when Cannavaro won in 2006 ahead of Ronaldinho.

It really wasn't anywhere near as big as it is now, as others say Messi and Ronaldo (latter's campaigning for it) has turned it into this holy grail that it never was before. 2006 is relatively recent, even though still before Messi and Ronaldo winning it. but Ballon d'or and World Player of the Year many decades ago were good awards to win but players did not obsess over them.

Now players treat it like it is more important than the World Cup. Back then it was a prestigious award to a point but players didn't endlessly campaign for it (again context of an internet world).

It's also changed for the worse - now it is a goalscoring award and more about fame and campaigning (C Ronaldo having five proves these three things true, that's way too many for his level of talent and better players from history have far fewer). There's no way 1998 Zidane for example wins an individual award in recent times with his stats that year (despite his World Cup Final performance). People would say he bottled the CL Final if he playing that season now. Yes I know Modric and Rodri but look at the outcry for them getting it over goalscoring attacking players in Ronaldo and Vinicius.

For a long time non-European players weren't even eligible for it.

 

[Maradona37]

Now, maybe there were the same amount of loons out there (and celebrity worshippers) who obsessed over Maradona and Pele as loons do now over Messi and Ronaldo. Or maybe there were a lot of loons who were obsessed with the Ballon d'or and WPOTY.

The point is, they weren't all able to congregate on the internet and help build the BD into the monster it is now. Add in far more football on TV and players being bigger 'superstars' now (particularly off the field, though tbf Maradona is a religion in Argentina) it provides the conditions for obsession over the individual (and his awards) in an increasingly individual-obsessed world.

Superstardom has always been there, but there's a lot of things that amplify it now (proliferation of mass media, more TV exposure, easier travel, the internet). The much bigger interconnectedness of the world makes celebrities bigger.