Ashutosh Sahoo
The Ballon d’Or, awarded by France Football, is the most prestigious individual award in football, celebrating the world’s best player
Started in 1956, one of the early behemoths of the sport to have won the trophy twice, Alfredo Di Stefano
Eusebio da Silva Ferreira affectionately known as "The Black Panther", for his athletic prowess, became the first black man to win the Ballon D'or
The award's rules changed over time from only European players to all players worldwide, and from a calendar year to a single football season as its assessment period.
The winner is chosen by a panel of journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries, who vote based on individual performance and team success.
The award has historically favored attackers, with only two defenders and one goalkeeper ever winning, leading to criticism that it overlooks defensive brilliance.
Football legends like Thierry Henry and Franck Ribéry were controversially overlooked for the award, igniting debates about its voting criteria.
From 2008 to 2023, the award was dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who together won a staggering 13 titles, creating a duopoly that left little room for others.
In a moment of sheer injustice, the 2020 award was canceled due to the pandemic, denying Robert Lewandowski his rightful win after a record-breaking, treble-winning season.
Despite a stellar season winning La Liga and the Champions League with Real Madrid, many believed Vinícius Jr. was robbed, a sentiment so strong it led to the club boycotting the ceremony
The Ballon D'or ceremony for 24-25 season, has finally come, with various names stirring the pot, and Ousmane Dembele, on the back of a prolific season has his name strongly staked. So what is in a ball?