How clubs and agents 'buy' Ballon d'Or votes

When the Ballon d'Or was an uninteresting award

On the 70th anniversary of the most prestigious individual award of world football, the Golden Ball ceremony will be held for the first time in London. In the country of the first winner of the award – Stanley Matthews.

Today it is hard to believe, but until the twenty-first century, fans paid little attention to the Golden Ball, and players were not obsessed with this award.

And the prize did not look more expensive than cups in a sports store. The metal quickly turned yellow, the name plaque hung “on the snot”, and the reward itself rattled during transportation, like some Chinese fake.

The only two-time winner of the prize among the British Kevin Keegan recalled in an interview with The Athletic: “One day we decided to find out its cost, and the appraiser said that it is worth ten pounds.” The legendary footballer admitted that he sometimes used the Ballon d'Or as a door stopper.

Now the cost of the Golden Ball exceeds $ 13 thousand, it is covered with a layer of 18-carat gold, and is made by its prestigious jewelry house.

There were no lavish awarding ceremonies in thousands of halls like the Chatelet, where Sergei Diaghilev’s Russian Seasons debuted. The prize was presented in the kitchen of the winner, before the match on the field, on the central square of the player’s hometown, club. And this is not about the middle of the twentieth century, but the beginning of the zero.

In the middle of zero to the ceremonies began to attract stars of show business. For example, in 2006 Monica Bellucci presented the prize to the captain of the Italian national team Fabio Cannavaro. And since 2010, with the beginning of a five-year cooperation with FIFA, the ceremony began to be held on an analogue with the Oscars.

“I would say that until the beginning of the twenty-first century, this trophy remained relatively little known,” Pascal Ferret, who oversaw the award as editor of France Football in 2016-2023, wrote in his recent book The Hidden Face of the Ballon d’Or. There was no excessive media coverage.

How Ronaldo and Messi changed the Ballon d’Or

Keegan won two Ballon d'Or in 1978 and 1979, when he was given the best European footballer. In 1995, due to the abundance of Africans and South Americans in European clubs, any player from the European team claimed the award. Since then, the prize has gradually gained popularity.

But everything changed in 2007, when the right to participate in the competition was expanded for all players without exception, and the football world gradually began to enter the era of domination of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (2008-2019).

The internet, polarized fans and media have done their job. The confrontation between Messi and Ronaldo caused a stir around the Golden Ball. Although the hype began before that, as the winner was controversial, in the opinion of many, the candidate - defender and captain of the Italian national team Fabio Cannavaro, world champion in 2006. And among those dissatisfied, the loudest were fans of the Portuguese genius.

How Messi and Ronaldo reacted to criticism and defeats in the fight for the Golden Ball

Ronaldo after the victories called the “Golden ball” “the best award” and one of the most important for himself, when defeated with indignation spoke about this prize. In 2017, he took the Ballon d’Or for the last time, and in 2025 he called it a “fiction”.

When Messi won his eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023, Ronaldo, who has five, likened the post with a journalist claiming that Messi had won three more goals than needed.

Messi made no loud comments. But without a reaction, the statements about the undeserved Golden Ball did not remain. At the beginning of 2010, a tense situation arose in Barcelona. Messi and his teammates Xavi, Andres Iniesta entered the top three contenders for the Golden Ball. Xavi and Iniesta were the favourites after the phenomenal 2010 World Cup and club season. Messi failed the 2010 World Cup, but he, to the surprise of many, got the prize.

Ex-Barca player Maxi Lopez recalled that on the way back from Zurich, where the ceremony was held, there was tense silence. “On the way to the ceremony on the plane, everyone was happy and content. Catalan players thought the Ballon d'Or would go to Andres or Xavi because Leo already had three or four. But Messi won it and there was tension on the way back on the plane. Messi, as usual, was quiet, but surely noticed the mood. The next day in training they played these typical short matches. I wasn't there, but one of the defenders told me about it. He said, "Messi's done everything, he's done everything in training." Everyone, as I have never seen him in such a state. It was like he was making a statement, just in case anyone had doubts that he was the best of all, and by far.”.

In 2021, Messi also unexpectedly received the Ballon d’Or. The favorite was the Polish Robert Lewandowski. In his acceptance speech, Messi noted the Pole, and said that he should be awarded the 2020 award (then the prize was not awarded because of the pandemic). However, Lewandowski accused Messi of insincereness: “I would like it to be a sincere and polite statement of a great player, and not just empty words.” Messi, who throughout his career avoided conflicts with players, admitted a couple of years later that he played tougher against Lewandowski after these words and wanted to “humiliate him.”.

It was Ronaldo and Messi who made it popular to ignore ceremonies where they were not presented with an award. France Football has not announced the winner in advance. Now the name of the laureate is kept in the strictest secret until the ceremony, the winner is known only to three - among them the editor-in-chief of France Football.

Ronaldo also refused to vote for the best young player chosen by previous Ballon d'Or winners.

How footballers started begging for the Golden Ball

In 2008-2019, only a few could dare to publicly state their claims for the award. Even Javi and Iniesta have never openly spoken out about Messi’s “unfair” award of the Ballon d’Or in 2010.

However, with the end of the era of Ronaldo-Messi dominance, players began to speak louder about claims to the best player prize.

"Over the past 10-15 years, Ballon d'Or has occupied an increasingly large place in the media space and in the minds of players," Ferre wrote.

The current editor-in-chief of France Football, Vincent Garcia, told The New York Times that the Ballon d’Or has become “an important target for players and in some cases an obsession.”.

“This prize has become a prestigious... World-class players think they just need to win him over their careers.

Agents and clubs even joined the case, who began frankly lobbying jury members.

Once an unnamed agent invited the editor-in-chief of France Football Ferra to directly participate in the promotion of the right player

“He suggested that I ‘promote’ his client in front of the jury – an offer that I naturally declined,” Ferre said. At some point in our conversation, I had to leave to answer the phone. When I got back, the agent was gone, but there was an envelope on the table. I did not open it.”.

"One agent called five, ten, 15, 20 times to explain that it was his player who deserved it," Ferre said. - Clubs too. I got a lot of calls from agents bragging about their clients, saying their client deserved it. I would call it lobbying. A little pressure."".

Garcia confirms that "every year before the vote, the clubs and agents of the favourites take every opportunity to remind that their player is the best in the world.".

In 2018, Croatian football legend Luka Modric broke the hegemony of Ronaldo – Messi. The Croat didn't even raise the subject of the Ballon d'Or before the ceremony. According to Ferre, Modric did not immediately believe his words about the victory, and then broke down in tears and said: "Why me?"

"When I informed Modric of the victory, there was a long silence," Ferre recalls. - Then he cried so hard. He said he was so moved that he was not created for such an award. He's a real anti-star. It's proof that even those who play for the team can win the Ballon d'Or. The same thing happened to Rodri when he won it in 2024.

Now players with unprecedented desperation are seeking this award. In 2024, Vinicius spoke at every corner about the imminent receipt of the Golden Ball. For example, during the match “Real” – “Barcelona” (0: 4), which was held before the presentation, Vinicius responded to the pointing on the fingers of the score of the meeting, the Catalan midfielder Gavi phrase: “Yes, but on Monday I go for the Golden ball”. As a result, the prize unexpectedly went to Rodri, and Vinicius together with Real Madrid made a scandal.

Real Madrid boycotted the event in protest (the winner was kept secret, but the club learned the results through sources). Then came a statement from Madrid's leadership: "Obviously the Ballon d'Or award does not respect Real Madrid and Real Madrid will not go where it is not respected." At the same time, the Brazilian and his entourage torpedoed the topic of "racism" as a reason for not giving. Vinicius spent more than a month pretending to be a victim.

In 2026, the situation was partly repeated. The ceremony will take place the day after the match between Barcelona and Real Madrid. In this meeting, two favorites for the prize will converge - the French forward of Real Madrid Cillian Mbappe and the leader of Barca, the Spanish national team Lamine Yamal.

Two months before the awards ceremony, both players literally started campaigning. The football world has never seen anything like this. In a short period of time, Mbappe and Yamal gave a series of interviews to the leading European media, in which they told why they are most worthy of the Golden Ball. At the same time, one of the interviewers of Yamal and Mbappe was a member of the prize jury.

Yamal did not regret epithets in his address, called himself exceptional and the owner of the most spectacular style, for which you want to watch football. “Golden ball” is worthy of a footballer, for which you want to include football. I’ve been playing at Ballon d’Or level for a long time, not just this year. Everyone knows that, everyone knows that I am exceptional, not like everyone else, the Spaniard told L’Equipe.

Yamal made loud statements last year, in which his idol was never seen. If Messi after the first “Golden ball” with modesty admitted in an interview with France Football that he would like to win the award again, Yamal at 17-18 years said that he would win “many such awards”.

Mbappe’s statements came out no less loud: “Last season there was no one better than me,” said the top scorer of the World Cup-2026, as well as the Spanish championship and the Champions League in the 2025/26 season in an interview with France Football.

He noted that the lack of victories in tournaments does not bother him: People only say that I did not win anything ... The Ballon d’Or is an individual award. Look at what the player has done individually. I scored the most goals and scoring is the hardest thing in football.

Mbappe and Yamal began to literally “beg” the “Golden ball”, which caused indignation of the football community. Criticism cooled the impulse of both to publicly prove their superiority in the fight for the best player award. Yamal said that he does not care about the Golden ball, he is important trophies. At the age of 19, he won almost every tournament in the world, including the World and European Championships, which no one can boast of.

“Does that pressure matter? In my opinion, no, says Ferre. Their approach is to say in every newspaper in the world: I am the best. Vote for me.” I don't think that would be of much interest to the jury. All these interviews say the same thing. In my opinion, this is not very effective.”.

Who else is competing for the Golden Ball in 2026

Another favourite is English striker Harry Kane, who has not been so vocal about his candidacy. According to the polls of experts of the leading sports media, he should win the Golden Ball.

The most modest was Lionel Messi, who evasively answered questions about the Golden Ball He has eight, more than all the candidates combined.

Georgian PSG midfielder Hvich Kvaratskhelia, his French teammate Usman Dembele, Norwegian Erling Holland (Manchester City), Rordi (Spain, Manchester City / Barcelona), according to bookmakers and numerous experts, are not in the top 4 contenders.

For what achievements the Golden Ball is awarded

The editor-in-chief of France Football noted that when determining the winner, team trophies go by the wayside.

“Usually we evaluate the performances of players throughout the season – and first of all we evaluate individual results, not team achievements or trophies won,” says Garcia. This year it is difficult to evaluate, because you can take the example of Kvaratskhelia, who had a great second half of the season with PSG, but did not play at the World Cup (because Georgia did not qualify). But a Ballon d'Or winner doesn't automatically become a world champion with his national team. Different factors are taken into account.”.

UEFA, with whom France Footbal is organizing the ceremony, said the Ballon d'Or is awarded to the best footballer and the best footballer in the world, regardless of which leagues they play in or which countries they represent.

The Ballon d'Or is awarded based on three main criteria:

individual performances, decisive and impressive character team performances and achievements class and fair play

How Ballon d'Or "changes the lives" of players

The Ballon d'Or not only significantly changes the career of a footballer, but also the positioning of the club. Players get better contracts from clubs and sponsors. In particular, The Times reported that Mbappe’s contract with Real Madrid includes a bonus of €15 million for the Ballon d’Or.

“Ousmane Dembele (the 2025 winner) recently told us that he felt the impact of the Ballon d’Or on his career: in terms of media attention, interest from sponsors, how it affects the player’s image,” Garcia says.

Therefore, agents actively conduct lobbying campaigns, because they receive a percentage of the amount of these agreements.

There are clubs, too. Many leading clubs have bonuses in sponsorship contracts for winning the Golden Ball by a player. The cost of cooperation also increases for potential partners.

How Politics Made Eurovision Football Ballon d’Or

If in determining the first winners of the “Golden ball” the winners were chosen by 16 members of the jury, now there are 100 of them – by a journalist from each country in the top 100 of the FIFA ranking.

Each jury member selects ten players in descending order of merit from the list of 30 nominees compiled by the editors of France Football and L'Équipe, the best member of the jury of the previous convocation (in 2026 - a representative of Costa Rica), as well as UEFA Ambassadors Luis Figo (for the men's award) and Nadine Kessler (for the women's award). Ten selected players receive the following points: 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 respectively. The "Golden Ball" is received by the player who scored the maximum number of points.

As in the case of Eurovision, the sympathies of the jury on a national basis are visible to the naked eye. Egypt voted for captain Mohamed Salah, Scotland for leader of its national team Scott McTominay, Morocco for captain Ashraf Hakimi.

Just 20 years ago, it was hard to imagine a Brazilian voting for an Argentine because of a historic standoff. But Messi changed things. For many years, almost all Latin American countries put Messi first.

In 2024, an Argentine journalist was suspended after putting four Argentine players in the top 5 - Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Emiliano Martinez and Julian Alvarez. “I think he has lost his objectivity. We changed the journalist and now he doesn’t vote anymore, Garcia said.

The editor-in-chief of France Football also has the right to choose from France. And he faces criticism that he doesn't vote for players from his country. In 2024, I got a message from a man who was very unhappy with my vote. He criticized me for not choosing Mbappe, he admitted.