That shiny golden trophy every soccer player desperately wants? It’s the most prestigious individual award in sports. But here’s the thing - the winner gets exactly zero dollars in prize money for it. So why do they weep on stage and launch campaigns to win one? Hint: it’s not just for the glory - it’s for the massive, seven-figure bonuses from clubs and sponsors that come with it. The Ballon d'Or isn't just an award; it's very, very good business.

On this episode, Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé follow the money trail, starting with the award's origin as a genius scheme by French journalists to get better access to the stars. They uncover how a “priceless” award generates millions in revenue and why luxury brands like Louis Vuitton are tripping over themselves to be associated with the spectacle.

And of course, it wouldn't be a global event without some drama. Asli and Michael dish the dirt on the boycotts (we're looking at you, Real Madrid) and the voting biases that have plagued the award for years.

So tune in to find out how a simple trophy became a financial powerhouse and the biggest, most glamorous, (and most controversial) night in sports.

---

For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

---

The Finance of Football, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…

Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé

Editing and Sound Design by Ryan Hammond

Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski

Executive Produced by Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky

---

Check out more of Frequency Machine’s podcasts - including Undercover Sports, a show about the wildest sports conspiracy theories, at frequencymahine.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.