The Ballon d'Or is one of the most prestigious trophies in football and indeed the world of sport. Handed out at a glitzy awards do, it is gifted to the top player as judged by journalists around the globe. The biggest names in the history of the game have won this prize and written their name into the record books.
An annual award presented by France Football, the prize was first awarded way back in December 1956. This article will look back at the history and tell you everything you need to know about the Ballon d'Or.
Ousmane Dembele Triumph
The latest winner of the Ballon d'Or is Ousmane Dembele who was presented with the award in September after a fine campaign with Paris Saint-Germain in which the forward helped the team from the French capital claim the treble.
Many football fans who enjoy gaming online, from Texas Holdem via an app to blackjack, roulette and sports betting, backed the France international to claim the top award after the stellar season.
Dembele won the Champions League, Ligue 1 title and French Cup after scoring 35 goals and recording 14 assists in 53 games. The top scorer in France with 21 goals, the winger was also named the Player of the Year in Ligue 1 and the Champions League.
"What I have just experienced is exceptional, I have no words for it, what happened with PSG," said Dembele. "I feel a bit of stress, it's not easy to win this trophy, and to have it presented to me by Ronaldinho, a legend of football, is exceptional.
"I want to thank PSG who came to get me in 2023. It's an incredible family. The president Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] is like a father to me. I also want to thank all the staff and the coach, who have been exceptional with me - he too is like a father - and all my team-mates.
"We have practically won everything together. You supported me in the good and the difficult times. This individual trophy is one the team has won collectively."
Messi and Ronaldo Rivalry
Football in the 21st century has been dominated by the intense rivalry of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo who shined for Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively at the very top of the game. Each winning Champions League and LaLiga titles while scoring a record number of goals, the duo were always the favourites to win the Ballon d'Or and often came out on top.
Lionel Messi has won the award eight times while Ronaldo was named the winner on five occasions. The Portugal star holds the record for most nominations, being included in the shortlist an incredible 18 times. Now the pair are playing outside of Europe, with Messi at Inter Miami and Ronaldo appearing for Al-Nassr, they have finally moved aside and allowed other players to claim the gong.
Ballon d'Or Origins
The Ballon d'Or was conceived by sports writers Gabriel Hanot and Jacques Ferran. Hanot was a footballer born in 1889 who earned 12 caps for the France national team and also came up with the concept of the European Cup. Ferran, meanwhile was the editor-in-chief of L'Equipe and the director of France Football.
The first edition took place in December 1956 from Paris and was decided by a panel of sports journalists based in UEFA's member countries. Since then, it has grown into one
The Voting Process and Player Eligibility
For the first four decades of the Ballon d'Or, it was only European footballers who were eligible to win the award. Then, for the next 12 years, players of any origin could win so long as they were playing for a club in Europe. However, since 2007, the prize has been open to every player on the planet meaning stars in South America, Africa and Asia can all be in with a shouting of claiming the gong.
From 2007 until 2015, the manager and captain of every international team recognised by FIFA participated in the Ballon d'Or final vote but before and after those years, only journalists cast their picks. FIFA also collaborated with France Football between 2010 and 2015 but have since created their own prize called the FIFA Best player award. However, the Ballon d'Or remains the prize players everywhere dream of winning.
Past Winners
The first ever player to claim the Ballon d'Or award was the iconic Stanley Matthews whose star quality helped Blackpool finish second behind Manchester United in 1956. The England international finished ahead of Real Madrid pair Alfredo Di Stefano and Raymond Kopa.
Michael Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco Van Basten won three Ballon d'Ors while Franz Beckenbuaer, Ronaldo, Di Stefano, Kevin Keegan and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge each claimed the prize on two occasions.
Since the turn of the century, the players to be awarded the gong not called Messi or Ronaldo included Luis Figo, Michael Owen, Pavel Nedved, Fabio Cannavaro, Kaka, Luka Modric, Karim Benzema, Rodri and of course, Ousmane Dembele.
Overall, the Ballon d'Or ceremony remains one of the key dates in the football calendar as the best players around the world are rated and celebrated by journalists and fans alike. Already this season, star names in Europe and beyond will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Dembele, Messi and Ronaldo.