Gheorghe Hagi holds highest Ballon d'Or ranking for Romanian footballers

Gheorghe Hagi holds the highest ranking for a Romanian footballer in the history of the Ballon d'Or. In 1994, Hagi achieved 4th place with 68 points, tying with Sweden's Tomas Brolin. This achievement followed a significant year in which Hagi played for Brescia and FC Barcelona, and led Romania to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in the United States.

Hagi holds the record for the most nominations by a Romanian player, with six appearances (1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, and 1994). Other notable Romanian players in the top rankings include Helmut Duckadam, who placed 8th in 1986 following Steaua București's European Cup victory, and Miodrag Belodedici, who also finished 8th in 1991.

Dudu Georgescu is noted for appearing in the rankings for three consecutive years, placing 10th in 1975, 15th in 1976, and 9th in 1977. In total, Romanian footballers have appeared in the Ballon d'Or rankings 19 times, with 12 players receiving at least one vote.