Ballon d'Or Unveils Golden Secrets as Video Shows Trophy Making Process

• Ballon d’Or 2023 ceremony will go down inside the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on Monday, October 30
• Lionel Messi has been heavily tipped to win the prize, but Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are also strong contenders
• Footage showing how the precious gong is made has gone viral on the internet

The best footballers will be crowned on Monday, October 30, during the Ballon d’Or ceremony slated for the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.

A viral video has shown how the precious gong is made as it takes the form of a golden football, which is widely reported to be worth around €3,000 ($2,920).

It was gathered that the pyrite bade of the award measures 31 cm in height and 23 cm in diameter, and weighs just over 7 kg.

Spanish outlet AS reports that the Ballon d’Or is made of two brass plates that are soldered together to create a ball shape.

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Football

Inside, it is loaded with a wax-like material and, on the outside, is bathed in gold.

World Cup winner Lionel Messi is looking to win his eighth Ballon d’Or this year, but faces strong contention from treble-winning Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.

Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain is also good for the award following his amazing performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo has won it five times, but the Al-Nassr of Saudi striker is not among the nominees for the award this year.

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is the current holder of the prize, having won it in 2022.

Why Messi won more Ballon d’Or awards

Sports Brief earlier reported that Iconic manager Jose Mourinho once put forth a theory regarding why Lionel Messi might win more Ballon d'Or awards compared to his age-old nemesis, Cristiano Ronaldo.

The two veterans enjoyed an incredible rivalry at the pinnacle of global football, collectively securing an astonishing 12 Ballon d'Or awards between them from 2008 to 2017.

During this era, Ronaldo and Messi set and broke numerous records, engaging in an intense competition to outperform each other in all aspects of the game.