After Buffon, seventh place went to his national team teammate, Cannavaro.
Despite the heavy blow of the "Calciopoli" scandal, Italy still managed to reach the semifinals this year, which to some extent lifted the morale of Serie A and carried enormous significance for European football as a whole.
On top of that, Cannavaro's transfer to Real Madrid brought him tremendous exposure and commercial resources. It also had to be said that Su Hang's current popularity was simply overwhelming—many people who didn't even watch La Liga were tuning in just to see Real Madrid play. The entire squad benefited from this surge in attention, and the bigger your own reputation, the more you could amplify your influence within it.
After congratulating Cannavaro on his excellent Ballon d'Or ranking, the red-carpet host even suggested that he thank Su Hang. Cannavaro kept calling out "Captain Su, Captain Su," clearly satisfied from the bottom of his heart.
What he didn't know was that in another version of the story, he wouldn't have stopped at seventh place. He would have become the only defender ever to win the Ballon d'Or.
But now…
It had to be said—wasn't this a kind of heartbreak in itself?
Sixth place turned out to be a surprising name.
Raúl González!
"El Ángel de Madrid" had reached his peak between 1996 and 2002, from the ages of twenty-one to twenty-five. As players like Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo, and Beckham joined Real Madrid, Raúl gradually ceded resources year by year. Both his competitive level and international influence declined.
This year, he even became a primary rotation player for the Spanish national team. Over the past season, he also played a rotational role at club level. Yet Real Madrid's haul of trophies over the past year was simply too remarkable to ignore.
Raúl, together with Su Hang, Sergio Ramos, and Casillas, were the players who won the most titles this year, collecting a total of six trophies. Ramos was still young, but after this wave of championships, he had already entered the ranks of the world's top defenders. As long as he avoided serious injury, he was certain to be nominated for both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year next year.
Casillas was in his prime, standing shoulder to shoulder with Buffon as the world's number one goalkeeper.
Raúl, though clearly past his peak, had rekindled public nostalgia with this run. As a result, he even surpassed regular starters like Casillas and Ramos in the rankings, finishing sixth.
He had once believed that handing the captain's armband to Su Hang and voluntarily coming off during the World Cup was his perfect farewell. Only now did he realize that this—this ranking—was Su Hang's true farewell gift to him.
An exceptionally dignified send-off.
From Real Madrid's situation, everyone knew this was likely Raúl's final appearance on the Ballon d'Or shortlist. Although sixth place was not the highest ranking of his career, this result would be remembered forever.
He would become the eternal "number six" in the hearts of the fans.
Raúl: ???
Then came the climax of the red carpet.
Ronaldo and Henry arrived together.
Zidane and Figo, two old friends, walked side by side.
Su Hang and Jennifer Lawrence made their appearance last.
In fact, a well-known film and entertainment company had approached Su Hang this year, hoping their top female star could accompany him on the red carpet. She had been a famous child actress and, after coming of age, had steadily built up a strong body of work, including several widely recognized films. In July this year, a movie she starred in became a box-office smash, instantly propelling her into the spotlight.
With an offer like that, who could refuse?
Su Hang could.
Not because the offer wasn't tempting, but because he had already agreed to walk the red carpet with Jennifer.
Jennifer needed this exposure to compete for a major Hollywood production—Transformers. Her rival was the famous American model and actress Megan Fox. Compared to Megan's sex appeal, Jennifer stood almost no chance.
But this year's Ballon d'Or ceremony gave her an opportunity.
If Su Hang could successfully score the decisive goal, Jennifer—long regarded as Su Hang's rumored girlfriend—could follow Victoria's path and rise in status through him.
Of course, Jennifer didn't get this for free.
During the winter break, she had to accompany Su Hang through seven days and seven nights of intense gaming. They planned to clear all progress in World of Warcraft and Fantasy Westward Journey. World of Warcraft was manageable; the real challenge was Fantasy Westward Journey, which was far more complex and demanding. Jennifer even hired a tutor and studied day and night, throwing herself completely into mastering the game.
So when people said she rose to fame by riding Su Hang's popularity, Jennifer never let such comments get to her.
Do you have any idea how hard she worked just to maintain a good relationship with Su Hang?
None of you geigei worked this hard!
...
Inside the Théâtre du Châtelet, all the guests were already in place. With the host's opening remarks, this year's awards ceremony officially began.
France Football also introduced several additional awards, such as Best Young European Player and Best Women's Player. But overall, only the Ballon d'Or carried true weight.
The Ballon d'Or, also known as the European Ballon d'Or, was originally established exclusively for European players, essentially serving as the European Footballer of the Year. Later, it gradually expanded to include outstanding players from around the world.
In 1995, Liberian player and AC Milan legend George Weah became the first non-European to win the Ballon d'Or, breaking new ground. In 2003, George Weah officially retired and founded the "Liberian National Congress Party" in Liberia. He lost the presidential election in 2005. In 2011, he supported an ally's presidential campaign while running for vice president himself, only to lose again—despite leading in the early stages both times.
In 2017, George Weah finally kicked the habit of celebrating at halftime, defeated his opponents, and was elected the 25th President of the Republic of Liberia. He became the first person in history to reach the very top in both football and politics.
As time passed, the final Ballon d'Or rankings were about to be revealed. The first to be announced were fourth and fifth place.
"Ronaldinho, Henry! Congratulations!"
The host spoke as applause filled the venue. Yet both players only managed forced smiles. Their peak rankings had once been far higher than this.
Henry never won a Ballon d'Or during his career, but that didn't mean he lacked the level for it. Rather, he was unlucky—his peak coincided with an era dominated by Ronaldo, Zidane, Figo, Rivaldo, and others, who collectively overshadowed him. Had he been born just two or three years earlier or later, he would have shone even brighter than Ronaldinho beside him.
He was always that deadliest royal spear.
Even if some of the later Ballon d'Or winners had been transported back to his era, they wouldn't necessarily have surpassed those legends either.
On top of that, the Premier League—Henry's stage at the time—sat low on the footballing hierarchy. That situation would persist for a long time.
It was also one of the reasons Lampard couldn't surpass Ronaldinho last year.