Michael Ballack

Michael Ballack is, to me, the embodiment of the magnificent nearly-man. Rising from Görlitz in the former East to dominate midfields across Germany and England, he won German Footballer of the Year three times and earned a place among Pelé's FIFA 100. Yet what lingers for me is the heartbreak of his runner-up finishes; the number 13 always felt almost destined to fall just short. That tension between brilliance and bad luck gives his career a tragic dignity I find more compelling than any trophy haul. His pivot to agency work suits that sharp, calculating mind.

Name (English)

Michael Ballack

Name (Japanese)

ミヒャエル・バラック

Reading

みひゃえる・ばらっく

Born

September 26, 1976 (age 49)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Libra / Dragon

Origin

Görlitz, Saxony, Germany

Height

189 cm

Occupation

association football player

Awards & achievements

• FIFA 100
• 2002 German Footballer of the Year
• Goal of the Year
• Silbernes Lorbeerblatt
• 2003 German Footballer of the Year
• 2005 German Footballer of the Year
• 2005 Osgar

• Official sitehttp://www.michael-ballack.com
• Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/michaelballackofficial/
• Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael%20Ballack
• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%9F%E3%83%92%E3%83%A3%E3%82%A8%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BB%E3%83%90%E3%83%A9%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF
• Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11948

Tags

• Saxony
• association football player

Last updated

2026-06-17

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.