At which World Cup, specifically in a match against Sweden, was the Cruyff turn first deployed on the international footballing stage, winning Johan Cruyff the Golden Ball award?
Cruyff Turn The Cruyff Turn (also spelled Cruijff Turn in the Netherlands) is an evasive football move that was named after Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff. To do this move, Cruyff would look to pass or cross the ball. Instead of kicking it, he would drag the ball behind his planted foot with the inside of his crossing foot, turn through 180 degrees, and accelerate away from the defender. This feint was executed by Cruyff in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, first being seen in the Netherlands' match against Sweden where he outwitted Swedish defender Jan Olsson. The move was soon widely copied by other players around the world. It remains one of the most commonly used dribbling tricks in the modern game.
Ballon d'Or 1974 The 1974 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in Europe as judged by a panel of sports journalists from UEFA member countries, was awarded to the Dutch striker Johan Cruyff on 31 December 1974. There were 26 voters, from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East Germany, England, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, West Germany and Yugoslavia.