BALLON D'OR

Harry Kane dreams of winning first Ballon d’Or

Published

7 months ago

March 21, 2025

World Cup - UEFA Qualifiers - England Training - St George's Park, Burton upon Trent, Britain - March 18, 2025 England's Harry Kane during training Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo

England captain Harry Kane sees a real chance of winning the next Ballon d’Or award for the best player in the world but knows securing silverware with Bayern Munich would be key to fulfilling that dream.

The 31-year-old striker, England’s all-time leading goalscorer, has scored 32 goals and provided 11 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions this season for Bayern, helping the German giants top the Bundesliga table and book a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

While no English player has won the Ballon d’Or since former Liverpool striker Michael Owen in 2001, Kane believes his chance of winning soccer’s top individual award has been boosted by his August 2023 move from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern.

“Just being at a club like Bayern Munich has helped push me on even more, confidence-wise and responsibility-wise,” Kane told reporters ahead of Friday’s FIFA World Cup European qualifier against Albania.

“I feel like I’ve definitely got better, I’ve improved, and maybe the ‘aura’ of me as a player is a bit more respected than what it has been in the past, because you’re playing in big games, big nights.

“That’s probably what I mean in terms of being respected more worldwide, on the bigger stage. For something like that, you have to win enough team trophies to be considered in that and probably score 40-odd goals, but that is a possibility this season.”

Kane said his goal-scoring feats are not always appreciated but he remains motivated as ever.

“It’s like when (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Lionel) Messi were throwing these crazy numbers out there and the next season they’d score 40 goals instead of 50. It was like they were having a bad season,” Kane said.

“People take it for granted and maybe a little bit with England as well. I’ve scored 69 goals and when you score against Albania or Latvia, or these teams, people just expect it so it’s not spoken about so much.

“If I was 25 now and doing what I’m doing, the excitement around me would maybe be a little bit different to what it is now. That’s part of where we are with football … Maybe people just get a little bit bored of what you do, but I’m certainly not bored. I’m excited for these games and the games ahead.”

-Reuters

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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