By Matt Hardy
The Ballon d’Or has long been seen as the leading Oscar award of the football world, with the world’s greatest male and female player crowned every year in Paris. Here are all of the award winners from the star-studded ceremony in Paris.
Kopa Trophy – young player
Handed out to the golden boy of football, the protégé of the beautiful game, the Kopa Trophy tends to be given to a player who’s expected to go on and dominate the game.
This year’s winner was England’s Jude Bellingham, who swapped Dortmund for Real Madrid in the summer.
The 20-year-old has had a corking start to his career in Spain but all awards handed out relate to last season so expect the England international to be in the mix for the big award this time next year.
Bellingham was 18th in the Ballon d’Or official listing.
Socrates award – humanitarianism
The Socrates award is handed out for outstanding humanitarian work and was picked up by Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr.
The youngster was handed the award by Monaco’s Prince Albert II for his work in helping underprivileged Brazilian children.
Vinicius Jr used part of his speech to address his ongoing battle against racism in Spanish football, where the 23-year-old has been subject to vile abuse.
Yashin Trophy – best goalkeeper
The Yashin Trophy is presented to the best goalkeeper in the world and this year went to Emiliano Martínez of Argentina and Aston Villa.
Martínez was handed the trophy by his father, Alberto, and was a key cog in his country’s World Cup win in Qatar, including an incredible save in the dying seconds of the final against France.
The 31-year-old plays for Aston Villa in the Premier League, who are on a 12-match home league winning run, but made headlines in the Middle East for parading his golden glove trophy as if it were protruding from his crotch.
Gerd Muller Trophy – most goals
The Gerd Muller Trophy is handed out to the player who netted the most times for his club and country inside last season.
This year’s winner was Manchester City’s viking hero Erling Haaland, who was then forced to sit through a montage of every one of his 56 goals following the victory.
“First of all I want to thank Manchester City, the whole club,” he said.
“I also want to thank my family and all the people around me for making me who I am today.”
Not only does Haaland look incredible in front of the net, but he has a super blond ponytail which pays dividends on the slow motion replays. Chapeau.
Club of the year – best clubs
FC Barcelona won the best women’s club of the year. The Spanish giants won the domestic woman’s league last season in addition to their second Champions League trophy – they also picked up the 2023 Spanish Super Cup.
Women’s football in Spain has been marred by the actions of former chief Luis Rubiales for his actions in relation to player Jenni Hermoso at the World Cup in August.
They had six players on the Ballon d’Or Feminin shortlist.
Unsurprisingly Manchester City picked up the gong for the best men’s club having completed the treble last season.
Pep Guardiola’s side won the FA Cup, Premier League and Champions Cup trophy to claim the team award for the second season in a row.
“We are very proud,” Man City chief executive Ferran Soriano said. “The ownership are very proud, we enjoyed the season but this is not the product of just one season.”
Ballon d’Or Feminin – best female player
The award for the best female footballer of the year the Ballon d’Or Feminin was first awarded in 2018.
This year’s winner was Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati, unsurprisingly, after the Spaniard was named the best player at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
The 25-year-old fended off Chelsea’s Sam Kerr, Salma Paralluelo and Fridolina Rolfö in the top four and used her speech to call for athletes to be more than sportspeople, and to be examples to society.
Presented by Novak Djokovic, who used his introduction to praise athletes for being brave and speaking up about key issues – say like Covid-19 vaccines? – the award, in its glitzy golden football shape, will remain in Spain after Alexia Putellas won in both 2021 and 2022.
Ballon d’Or – best male player
The best player in the world; what an accolade, what a title, what a honour.
Nearly every player will go a lifetime without picking up this gong, even fewer will win it more than once.
But in the 2023 winner Lionel Messi, seen by many as the best to ever have played the game, is a footballer chalking up his eighth title.
Messi was the overwhelming favourite to win the famous footballing award, handed out to the best player each year, despite ditching Paris Saint-Germain in the summer for Major League Soccer and Inter Miami.
He fended off Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne, and former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe to claim his eighth title, the most of any player in history.
Netflix star and former footballer (apparently) David Beckham handed the Argentinian his award.
Deserved? Some would say no…
