Analysis
70th Edition of the Ballon d’Or Awards: What the Journey Has Been
From a 1956 French magazine experiment to football's ultimate global obsession, the Ballon d’Or reaches its historic 70th anniversary. Here is the story of how an award that excluded Pelé and Maradona survived FIFA mergers, rule overhauls, and seven decades of glorious chaos to become the crown every footballer dreams of.
By Chikamso 'Mr Focus' Okoye · 8 Sept 2026