The Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious individual accolade in world football, and only 45 players in the history of the sport have had the honour of lifting the award – including former Premier League greats Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Michael Owen.
While the Premier League has yet to house a winner since Ronaldo’s success in 2008, it has never lacked world-class stars who often cherished hopes of winning the golden ball and being named the best player in the world.
Therefore, the game’s top players often have certain clauses and bonuses surrounding a Ballon d’Or victory – those are written into contracts and triggered should a player claim the award.
The so-called ‘Ballon d’Or clause’ has remained a key part of many top players’ contracts over the years, including five former and current Premier League stars, whom GIVEMESPORT will take a closer look at in this piece.
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Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial celebrates for Manchester United.
Anthony Martial arrived at Manchester United in 2015 with sky-high expectations – the Frenchman was seen as the next big superstar of the game, and that was reflected in the £58m deal the Red Devils agreed with Monaco.
The agreement reportedly included a clause requiring United to pay an additional £7.2million if the Frenchman went on to win the Ballon d'Or.
As it turned out, Martial was never even nominated for the prestigious award, while his Old Trafford career panned out not in the way he would have hoped – he scored 90 goals in 317 appearances and departed on a free transfer in the summer of 2024.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo won the first of his five Ballon d’Ors whilst at Man United in 2008 and was hopeful of repeating the same on his return to Old Trafford in 2021.
The Portuguese forward reportedly had three standout bonuses on top of his to his basic £475,000-a-week salary, including a £1m payout if United won the Champions League or if he won the Ballon d'Or or UEFA Player of the Year.
However, following his latest victory in 2017, Ronaldo never came close to winning the Ballon d'Or again, while he also never finished in the top three after his return to Man United in 2021.
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Mohamed Salah
Mo Salah
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah led the club to their second-ever Premier League title last term and was named the 2024/25 Player of the Season for the second time in his career.
However, despite being widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, the Egyptian never came close to winning the Ballon d’Or – his highest position in the voting was fifth in 2019.
According to Spanish outlet Don Balon, Salah had a ‘secret clause’ inserted into the Liverpool contract he penned upon his arrival in 2017, which stated that if he did not win the Ballon d’Or, he could demand a transfer to either Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Salah committed his future to Liverpool by signing a new two-year deal earlier this year, which keeps him with the club until June 2027.
Thiago Alcantara
Thiago Alcantara
Thiago Alcantara joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich on a four-year deal in 2020, which reportedly also included a Ballon d’Or clause.
His £26m move to Anfield was believed to include various clauses based on club and player performance, including one for winning the Ballon d'Or – though, as it turned out, he was never even nominated during his career.
Despite flashes of world-class quality, Thiago’s time at Anfield was heavily disrupted by injuries, which limited him to just 98 performances during his four seasons with the club.
The former midfielder retired from the professional game following his contract expiry in 2024.
Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes in action for Manchester United
Man United captain Bruno Fernandes has been their most consistent performer over the past couple of seasons and delivered another solid individual campaign in 2024/25, with 19 goals and 19 assists in 57 appearances.
Signed from Sporting Lisbon in a deal worth €55m (£47m), Fernandes also had a Ballon d’Or clause inserted in his contract, which obliges United to pay an extra €5m each time he finishes in the top three.
The Red Devils have not had to pay any extras yet – Fernandes has only been nominated once for the Ballon d’Or so far, when he finished joint-21st in the final rankings in 2021.
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Statistics courtesy ofTransfermarkt. Correct as of 07-07-25.