How much does it cost to make the Ballon d’Or?

Two bronze plates are molded to give the shape of a hemisphere: a football. The goldsmith then fuses the two pieces with a torch, while the carver fills the ball with a waxy material and shapes the layers of the ball with a chisel and hammer.

After that, the golden ball is emptied of wax and sent to the polisher, who also carves the logo; it is gold plated and screwed onto a pyrite base.

It takes six months and about 100 hours of work to make. The final touch is added the same evening as the delivery, when a jeweler engraves the winner’s name before handing over. The Balloon d’or trophy costs about $13,800 which is equivalent to ¢222,240.58 in Ghana Cedis.

Does the Ballon d’Or winner get a cash prize?

The award is an annual event to honor players for performance the previous season and to give prestige to the winners. Players does not receive direct payment for winning the Balloon d’or award but it has a value that can come as an indirect compensation.

According to the Sport Bible portal, some players have bonuses in their contract from their sponsors or teams if they win the Ballon d’Or Award.