There was one new face and one defending champion on the podium at last year’s ceremony.
Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati continued her dominance of women’s football by winning the Ballon d’Or for the third year in a row, becoming the first female footballer to achieve that feat. Lionel Messi and Michel Platini are the only two male players to have done the three-peat.
After playing a starring role in Paris Saint-Germain’s maiden Champions League triumph, Ousmane Dembele won the men’s Ballon d’Or for the first time. Given he and his team-mates successfully defended their European crown, the Frenchman might fancy his chances of winning the top individual prize again.
