Ballon d’Or
Ballon d’Or
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Individual awards in football have long reflected the standout performers across a calendar year, even when team success does not always translate into personal recognition. Clubs that produce consistent contenders often build a rich history of nominations, yet the ultimate prize has remained elusive for some. Those patterns become clearer when supporters look back across decades of near misses and strong placements.
The current campaign has produced another strong set of contenders from north London. Several players from both the men’s and women’s sides head into the latest ceremony with genuine chances of making an impact. Any success would mark a significant milestone for the club, as no Arsenal player has previously won either the men’s or women’s award while at the club.
The 70th Ballon d’Or gets underway tonight, with a host of our stars across both the men’s and women’s teams nominated for the biggest honours. Declan Rice, William Saliba, Gabriel, David Raya are in contention for the men’s side, with two of our women’s team up for the Ballon d’Or Féminin.
Founded in 1956 by magazine France Football, it took the club 23 years to have a contender for the title, coming in the shape of Liam Brady. The Irish playmaker enjoyed a year to remember in 1979, helping Arsenal win the famous FA Cup final 3-2 against Manchester United by starting the move that would end with Alan Sunderland netting the winner. His heroics that year also earned him the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, making him the first foreign player to win the award. Brady finished seventh in the Ballon d’Or listings, with Kevin Keegan winning the award after a fine season with Hamburg.
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David O’Leary finished 22nd in 1980, and John Jensen placed 14th in 1992. David Seaman finished 26th in 1996, while Dennis Bergkamp featured in back-to-back Ballon d’Ors in 1997 and 1998, finishing fourth in 1997. Following the Premier League and FA Cup double in 1997/98, Bergkamp placed eighth, with Marc Overmars finishing 23rd. Nwankwo Kanu’s 23rd finish in 1999 rounded out the millennium.
Thierry Henry joined in 1999/00 and was nominated following his first campaign, finishing fourth in 2000. The Frenchman featured on every Ballon d’Or list until 2007, coming closest in 2003 when he finished second behind Pavel Nedved after scoring 32 goals and providing 24 assists. He placed fourth in 2004 and 2005 before finishing third in 2006. Cesc Fabregas then received regular nominations, finishing eighth, 19th, 12th, 20th and 21st between 2007 and 2011.
On the women’s side, the Ballon d’Or Féminin was established in 2018. Vivianne Miedema placed fifth in 2019 and fourth in 2021. Beth Mead finished second in 2022 after a strong season for club and country that included the Golden Boot at the European Championship. More recent years have brought further nominations, including for Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Katie McCabe.
An incredible nine players have been nominated across both awards this time, a club record, with seven on the Ballon d’Or Féminin. Emily Fox, Leah Williamson, Steph Catley, Frida Maanum, Alessia Russo, Chloe Kelly and Mariona Caldentey are all in contention. Three of those nominees helped England win the European Championships, while Mariona has already been named PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year. The ceremony offers the latest chance for an Arsenal player to claim the top individual honour.