Temi Kings
The Ballon d’Or has long stood as football’s ultimate individual summit, yet its history is equally defined by endless whisper networks, conspiracy theories, and locker-room politics. Addressing those shadows head-on, former France Football director and Ballon d'Or chief Pascal Ferré has published revelations in his new book, The Hidden Face of the Ballon d'Or, setting the record straight on how the world's most famous award truly operates behind closed doors.
Addressing persistent rumors regarding political pressure from Real Madrid, Ferré thoroughly dismissed accusations that club president Florentino Pérez attempts to sway the voting process. While acknowledging Pérez’s profound passion for the trophy, Ferré emphasized that the Madrid chief has never attempted to send direct or indirect instructions regarding voters. Instead, Ferré noted that Real Madrid’s true power lies in their systemic discipline, focusing their global PR machinery around a single marquee candidate each season to avoid dispersing votes across their squad.
Ferré also pulled back the curtain on the intense campaign surrounding Kylian Mbappé. While recognizing Mbappé’s caliber as a generational talent, Ferré pointedly noted that massive PR pushes carry little weight with the voting jury, reiterating that the award must be earned on the pitch rather than engineered through PR. Expressing skepticism over Mbappé's candidacy during trophy-less club stretches, Ferré stressed that football remains a collective endeavor where silverware must anchor individual ambition.
Reflecting on the legendary era dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Ferré offered an unequivocal assessment of their decade-long stronghold between 2008 and 2017. Describing the duo as "two aliens," he rejected claims that media bias engineered their dominance, asserting instead that both players simply occupied a tier far above the rest of humanity.
However, relations with Ronaldo were not without friction. Ferré addressed their public fallout following comments he made about Ronaldo's goal to finish his career with more Ballon d'Or titles than Messi. Acknowledging that his original phrasing may have lacked precise nuance, Ferré noted how Ronaldo’s fiery social media rebuttal turned the narrative into a personal dispute.
Finally, Ferré touched upon the breach of protocol that shook the footballing world when Real Madrid learned Vinícius Júnior would not take home the trophy. Intended as the first edition where the winner remained completely undisclosed until the live envelope opening, Ferré confirmed that the secret failed to hold. Once word reached Real Madrid prior to the gala, the resulting anger triggered a complete boycott of the ceremony, underscoring the explosive emotions tied to football's ultimate golden ball.