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There was Ballon d'or but it was exclusively awarded to European players. South American football was on par with European football during Pele era. By 1970 CONMEBOL had won more world cups than UEFA (5 vs 4) and more Intercontinental Cups (6 vs 5). South American players did not have any need to play in European football at the time. This scenario started to change in the early 80s, and then Bosman law killed not only South American football but also lower European leagues.