BALLON D'OR

Vinicius very close to first Ballon d’Or win, says Ancelotti

Published

1 year ago

May 11, 2024

FILEM PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League - Semi Final - Second Leg - Real Madrid v Bayern Munich - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - May 8, 2024 Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior celebrates after the match REUTERS/Susana Vera

Vinicius Jr’s dazzling performances at Real Madrid have put the Brazilian forward in conversation to win his first Ballon d’Or and manager Carlo Ancelotti said on Friday the 23-year-old deserved to win the prestigious award.

Vinicius has netted five times and provided as many assists in the Champions League alone this season to help Madrid book a place in the final, while also scoring 13 goals in LaLiga, which they clinched for a record-extending 36th time last weekend.

The record 14-times European champions will take on German side Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley on June 1.

“He’s doing a great job,” Ancelotti told reporters on the eve of Saturday’s league trip to relegation-threatened Granada.

“He’s still got the Champions League final to come and then he’ll be at the Copa America. He’s very close, and if he has positive results in both competitions, he could well win it (Ballon d’Or).

“Before I came to coach Madrid, I saw Vinicius on TV and I thought what an incredibly talented player he looked. When I arrived here, that much was clear, and he’s improved on many things to enhance that talent.

“He’s better at evading his markers now and has improved in front of goal as well. He’s done so with a spectacular work ethic on a daily basis, he’s focused in training and recovers well after matches.

“He’s a highly disciplined professional and he deserves everything he’s achieved.”

But Ancelotti said the rest of his squad have been just as important in a campaign where several key players at Madrid have suffered injuries.

Vinicius moved to the Santiago Bernabeu from Brazil’s Flamengo in 2018.

“He’s among the best in the world and this is Vinicius’ moment because he brings us so much. He’s been important in us making the Champions League final and winning LaLiga. But we mustn’t forget how the others have contributed,” the Italian said.

“Madrid’s time is up until the first of June. After that, who knows, it might be Borussia’s moment.”

French defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is a doubt for the final after picking up an injury in their semi-final win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

“(Goalkeeper Thibaut) Courtois will play, as will (Eder) Militao. They both need the game time… (goalkeeper Andriy) Lunin has to be ready to play as well. That’s why I’ll have to assess the goalkeeping issue in the coming games,” Ancelotti said on team rotation.

“We’re not sure if Tchouameni will make it for the final but we’ll do all we can to see if he can recover. The rest will rotate, including (centre back Antonio) Rudiger and Nacho.”

-Reuters

BALLON D'OR

Amstel Malta Celebrates Nnadozie’s Historic Ballon d’Or Recognition

Published

2 weeks ago

September 23, 2025

Kunle Solaja

Amstel Malta has hailed Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie after she made history in Paris by finishing fourth in the Women’s Yashin Trophy category at the 2025 Ballon d’Or Awards.

The 24-year-old shot-stopper became the first African goalkeeper to rank among the top five in the global honour, underlining her growing reputation as one of the world’s best.

Nnadozie, who recently joined Brighton & Hove Albion Women in the English Women’s Super League, has already impressed in Europe with a ‘Player of the Match’ debut and a string of commanding performances since.

Amstel Malta, a long-standing supporter of Nigerian women’s football, described her feat as a proud moment for the country and the continent.

The brand had earlier backed the Super Falcons as they clinched a record 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in Morocco last year.

“Chiamaka Nnadozie’s rise to global recognition at the Ballon d’Or is a proud moment for Nigeria and Africa,” said Sandra Amachree, Head of Communications – Marketing at Nigerian Breweries Plc. “Her success reflects the resilience, talent, and passion that Amstel Malta has always celebrated in the Super Falcons.

From standing with the team as they won a record 10th WAFCON title, to witnessing this global recognition, we remain committed to refreshing and empowering Nigerian football every step of the way.”

Nnadozie’s Ballon d’Or breakthrough follows recent global recognition for Super Eagles stars Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, further highlighting Nigeria’s growing presence on world football’s biggest stage.

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BALLON D'OR

Dembele Becomes Fourth Player of African Descent to Win Ballon d’Or

Published

2 weeks ago

September 23, 2025

Kunle Solaja

Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Ousmane Dembele won the men's Ballon d'Or

BY KUNLE SOLAJA

French forward Ousmane Dembélé etched his name in football history on Monday night as he was crowned the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner, becoming only the fourth player of African descent to claim the game’s most prestigious individual honour.

Dembélé, whose father is Malian and mother has Mauritanian-Senegalese roots, joins a select group of legends with African heritage: Mozambique-born Portuguese icon Eusébio, Liberian great George Weah, and France’s Karim Benzema, whose father hails from Algeria.

The PSG player’s dazzling season—marked by decisive goals, creativity, and consistency—earned him the accolade ahead of other global stars, underscoring his long-awaited rise to the top of world football.

His victory continues a growing recognition of African football heritage in the global game. Eusébio won the award in 1965, Weah became the first and only African-based player to win it in 1995, while Benzema claimed the prize in 2022. Now, three years later, Dembélé has followed in their footsteps, making history for both France and Africa.

The Ballon d’Or, organised by France Football, has been awarded annually since 1956 to the best-performing footballer in the world.

Players of African Descent Who Have Won the Ballon d’Or

Player	Country of Descent / Origin	Nation Represented	Year Won
Eusébio	Mozambique (African-born)	Portugal	1965
George Weah	Liberia	Liberia	1995
Karim Benzema	Algeria (father’s heritage)	France	2022
Ousmane Dembélé	Mali (father), Mauritania/Senegal (mother)	France	2025

Ballon d’Or Winners Since 1956

1956 – Stanley Matthews (England)
1957 – Alfredo Di Stefano (Spain)
1958 – Raymond Kopa (France)
1959 – Alfredo Di Stefano (Spain)
1960 – Luis Suarez (Spain)
1961 – Omar Sivori (Italy)
1962 – Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia)
1963 – Lev Yashin (Soviet Union)
1964 – Denis Law (Scotland)
1965 – Eusébio (Portugal)
1966 – Bobby Charlton (England)
1967 – Florian Albert (Hungary)
1968 – George Best (Northern Ireland)
1969 – Gianni Rivera (Italy)
1970 – Gerd Müller (West Germany)
1971 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1972 – Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
1973 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1974 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1975 – Oleg Blokhin (Soviet Union)
1976 – Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
1977 – Allan Simonsen (Denmark)
1978 – Kevin Keegan (England)
1979 – Kevin Keegan (England)
1980 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1981 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1982 – Paolo Rossi (Italy)
1983 – Michel Platini (France)
1984 – Michel Platini (France)
1985 – Michel Platini (France)
1986 – Igor Belanov (Soviet Union)
1987 – Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)
1988 – Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1989 – Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1990 – Lothar Matthäus (Germany)
1991 – Jean-Pierre Papin (France)
1992 – Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1993 – Roberto Baggio (Italy)
1994 – Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
1995 – George Weah (Liberia)
1996 – Matthias Sammer (Germany)
1997 – Ronaldo (Brazil)
1998 – Zinedine Zidane (France)
1999 – Rivaldo (Brazil)
2000 – Luís Figo (Portugal)
2001 – Michael Owen (England)
2002 – Ronaldo (Brazil)
2003 – Pavel Nedvěd (Czech Republic)
2004 – Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)
2005 – Ronaldinho (Brazil)
2006 – Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
2007 – Kaká (Brazil)
2008 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2009 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2010 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)*
2011 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)*
2012 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)*
2013 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)*
2014 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)*
2015 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)*
2016 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2017 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2018 – Luka Modrić (Croatia)
2019 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2020 – Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)
2021 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2022 – Karim Benzema (France)
2023 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2024 – Rodri (Spain)
2025 – Ousmane Dembélé (France)

*Between 2010 and 2015, the Ballon d’Or was merged with FIFA’s World Player of the Year award. Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

BALLON D'OR

Ballon d’Or Analysis: African-Born vs. African HeritageTearful

Published

2 weeks ago

September 23, 2025

Kunle Solaja

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

The history of Ballon d’Or winners of African descent highlights two distinct categories:

African-born winners: Eusébio and George Weah were both born and raised on the continent. Eusébio grew up in Mozambique before his rise with Portugal, while Weah’s entire football journey was nurtured in Liberia, making him the only Africa-based player to win the award.
European-born with African roots: Karim Benzema and Ousmane Dembélé were born in France to African parents. Their victories represent the strength of the African diaspora in shaping European football success stories.

Together, they underscore both the direct impact of Africa in producing world-class talent and the enduring influence of African heritage in global football, whether through migration, colonial ties, or diaspora communities.

Ballon d’Or Winners Since 1956