CHAMPIONS' ACADEMY - INTERVIEW

In 2005, Ronaldinho won the Ballon d'Or. More than twenty years after, the enchanting Brazilian number 10, revisited the highlights of a career defined by giving and receiving joy, for France Football.

Born with severe strabismus and still unable to properly judge distances, Chelsea and England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton didn't start with the best odds before becoming the first female winner of the Yachine Trophy in 2025.

With Fabio Cannavaro, a pure defender was honored Ballon d'Or in 2006, a rare achievement. And the recognition of a school and a tradition, that of the Italian defensive style. Here is the interview made right after his crowning.

The Portuguese attacking midfielder, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2000, sent shockwaves through the football world that same year by moving from Barcelona to Real Madrid. Beyond that seismic transfer, he defined an era with his devastating dribbles down the right flank.

Jude Bellingham, the undisputed number one player under 21 in 2023, won the Kopa Trophy. At just 20 years old, the Englishman had already established himself as one of the best players on the planet. This is a rare conversation with Real Madrid's star, who is as comfortable in front of the microphone as he is on the pitch.

In October 2023, the Real Madrid forward, who was just 23 at the time, told us about a life full of adventures. From a child prodigy in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro to a rising star in world football, he has become an international icon and an important voice in the fight against racism, of which he is still a victim. (Original article from October 2023, last updated in January 2024).

Lamine Yamal, 2025 Ballon d'Or runner-up and a prodigy for FC Barcelona and Spain, opens up about his magical summer.

At nearly 78 years old, the former AC Milan captain, Gianni Rivera, has retained the elegance, the immodesty, and the frankness of his glory years, marked by his Ballon d'Or in 1969.

A double Gerd Müller Trophy winner, the Polish striker for FC Barcelona became a La Liga champion and its top scorer. In 2023, approaching his 35th birthday, he sat down with L'Équipe magazine to discuss what still drives him to perform at the highest level.

The first-ever female Ballon d’Or winner in 2018, Ada Hegerberg reflects on the public platform and the responsibility this trophy bestowed upon her outspoken advocacy.

Insatiable, the Barça attacking midfielder has no intention of settling for a double Ballon d'Or (2021 and 2022). She is aiming for a third crown to join another Catalan icon.

In 2022, at the pinnacle of his career, a place where he strives to elevate the game to an art form, Karim Benzema reflected on his journey to becoming the 45th recipient of the Ballon d'Or. In an intimate conversation, he breaks down what he sees, hears, feels, and experiences on the pitch—and in the wake of this ultimate recognition.

Michael Owen, the 2001 Ballon d'Or winner, has returned to live near where he grew up, in a Welsh manor house he has transformed into a museum dedicated to his meteoric career.

He was the first to know and the last to believe it. And yet, the superb midfielder for Juventus and the Czech Republic became the 48th Ballon d'Or winner. Here is the interview made after his triumph.

Right after he won the 2018 Ballon d'Or, Luka Modric discussed the obstacles he had to overcome to reach the top. And the prediction of his former coach.

On October 21, 2023, Bobby Charlton, the 1966 Ballon d'Or winner, passed away at the age of 86. In 2005, to mark the 50th anniversary of the prestigious award, the English attacking midfielder reflected on his career, his victory, his philosophy on the game, and the future of football. We revisit the words of a true football sage.