Unveiling the Hidden Layers of the Ballon d'Or

🏆 The Ballon d'Or is an annual football award presented by France football magazine.

🌍 It is one of the oldest and most prestigious individual awards for football players.

❓ People have misconceptions about the award and its origins.

⚽️ Anna helped professionalize football in France and created the European Cup.

🏆 Anna and a group of journalists set up the Ballon d'Or, an annual award for the best football player in Europe.

🥇 The first winner of the Ballon d'Or was Stanley Matthews of Blackpool Rovers.

🏆 The Ballon d'Or has been won by a prestigious group of players from different countries and positions.

🥅 Lev Yashin is the only goalkeeper to have won the award, while Fabio Cannavaro is the last defender to win.

🌍 The Ballon d'Or was initially restricted to European players, but eligibility was expanded in 1995 to include players from any origin.

💡 The Ballon d'Or is an award given to the best football player in the world.

🏆 Winners of the Ballon d'Or have historically been players who were active in European football at the time of their win.

🗳️ The award is determined through a voting process by football journalists, coaches, captains, and a jury of specialist journalists.

🏆 The Ballon d'Or is an award given to the world's best male player.

⚽️ Initially, voters ranked five candidates, but now they can only rank their top three.

👥 In the 2000s, the Ballon d'Or was merged with another award, but the merging agreement ended in 2015.

⚽️ The Ballon d'Or has undergone several changes and now recognizes the best female player, best under 21 player, and best goalkeeper.

🏆 The Ballon d'Or has grown in significance and is now considered a prestigious award, surpassing team trophies.

🏆 The Ballon d'Or is not as straightforward as people believe.

📰 Journalists Ollie K, Amy Lawrence, and Rafa Honigstein provide comprehensive coverage of each Premier League team.

🆓 Fans can access the coverage for free for 30 days.