“The Ballon d’Or is one of the oldest awards in football and is generally regarded as the most prestigious individual award for football players. But what are its origins? Can any player win the Ballon d’Or? Who decides the winners? Written by Jon Mackenzie, illustrated by Henry Cooke.”
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W – Ballon d’Or
“… Of course, we all see Busquets when he’s receiving a pass 30 metres from goal with a marker draped on him, before ridding them with a drag back to shift them off balance. What Del Bosque refers to is the 90-minute experience of the lone defensive midfielder, to whom so much of the team’s equilibrium is tied, and whose many acts are almost too subtle to detect in the moment. While the team machine keeps functioning, the pivote can become a hostage to recognition. And when it breaks down, they’re among the first to hear about it. In current times, this process is fresher in the mind of Martín Zubimendi than anyone else in La Liga. …”
The Analyst
“Was there a moment, back in August, when Christophe Galtier wondered what the fuss had been? Did he watch his Paris Saint-Germain team smacking in 21 goals in their first four games of the season and think how easy this all was? Take what is probably the starriest forward line in the history of the game, let them play and watch the brilliant goals stack up. Lionel Messi, after a disappointing first season in Paris, was re-energised. Neymar, playing alongside his mate, was thriving. And Kylian Mbappé …”
Guardian – Jonathan Wilson
Scissors Kick 