Harry Kane has won the Ballon d’Or, and as Ronaldo Nazário announced the result, the Bayern striker buried his face in his hands. He was overcome with emotion. This was the high point of a career, the moment it had all been building towards. There is no prize money from France Football for winning the award, nor any fixed payment. Yet the Ballon d’Or is worth far more than a cheque: it brings prestige, increases a player’s commercial value and gives him greater leverage in contract negotiations with his club.
Luka Modrić, for instance, reportedly received a bonus of around €800,000 from his boot sponsor after winning in 2018. A few weeks later, a special edition boot dedicated to him was released. Aitana Bonmatí, the Barcelona Femení forward, has also seen her commercial profile and partnerships with international brands grow since winning the award, which she claimed in three consecutive years, from 2023 to 2025.
The financial benefits extend beyond the winner. Clubs, sponsors and agents all have an interest in being associated with the world’s best player. Kane acknowledged as much after last night’s ceremony at the Palladium Theatre in London. “I’m happy to bring the Ballon d’Or back to Bayern’s trophy cabinet,” he said, aware that the German club had not had a winner since 1981, when Karl-Heinz Rummenigge won it.
For all its status as an individual honour, the Ballon d’Or can raise a player’s market value and bring his club greater international exposure, while agents can use the recognition to negotiate better terms for their clients. The race for the award has become a media battle between rival personalities and institutions. This year, the contest between the two other leading contenders, Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, took on something of an election-campaign atmosphere.
Pascal Ferré, former editor of France Football and head of the award from 2016 to 2022, recounts some of the episodes behind the scenes in his book La Face cachée du Ballon d’or. Among them is Real Madrid’s decision to boycott the 2024 ceremony in Paris after Vinícius finished second to Rodri. Ferré also describes pressure from agents, including Jorge Mendes, Cristiano Ronaldo’s longtime representative, and an alleged attempt at bribery involving the representative of a Premier League star, who is said to have deliberately left an envelope on the table at the end of a meeting in a major Paris hotel.
“Let’s not kid ourselves: the financial interests are enormous, including for the people around the player. It goes well beyond football,” Sidney Govou, the former Lyon striker, told Le Monde. He also criticised candidates who use the media to promote themselves. All the fuss, Govou argues, risks diminishing the award itself and fuelling tensions. “The Ballon d’Or should be an exceptional prize. Naming the best player in the world is no small thing.” He admits he has not followed the ceremony for several years. “It doesn’t really mean much to me anymore.” Kane, having just won the award in London, can live with that for the rest of his life.