Andriy Shevchenko brings the Ballon d'Or to Ukraine: installation in Kyiv and nationwide tour

07.12.2024 16:09

20 years ago, in December 2004, Andriy Shevchenko received the most prestigious award in football, becoming the first and remains the only Ukrainian to win the Ballon d'Or in the years since independence.

To mark the anniversary, Shevchenko brought the award to Ukraine. It is being displayed in Kyiv at Taras Shevchenko Park, where the Ballon d'Or will remain from December 7th to 15th, before embarking on a nationwide tour across Ukraine on December 16th.

Photo by Andriy Yushchak

The Ballon d'Or is a football award established by the French magazine France Football in 1956. It is presented annually to the best player in the world (until 2007, the best player in Europe). In the history of this award, only three Ukrainians have won it: Oleg Blokhin in 1975, Ihor Belanov in 1986, and Andriy Shevchenko, who received the award on December 13, 2004.

Photo by Andriy Yushchak

In 2004, Andriy Shevchenko won his first Serie A title, became the league’s top scorer for the second time, and claimed the Italian Super Cup. The previous year, he had won the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan. Additionally, Shevchenko captained the Ukraine national team, which had a strong start to the World Cup qualifying cycle, eventually earning its first-ever spot in the World Cup finals.

Photo by Andriy Yushchak

"This is one of the most exciting moments of my career. I’m happy that the Ballon d'Or is in Kyiv today and will travel to cities across Ukraine. The goal is to inspire children to play football, to remind them that effort and perseverance lead to success, and to prove that anything is possible if you truly love what you do. I believe that the next Ballon d'Or winner is already growing up in Ukraine," said Andriy Shevchenko, President of the Ukrainian Association of Football.

Photo by Andriy Yushchak

The Ballon d'Or will be on display in Kyiv until December 15th. Following this, the trophy will travel across Ukraine, visiting cities such as Kramatorsk, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Shevchenko's hometown, Yahotyn.

Photo by Andriy Yushchak

In each city, the award will be showcased at the central railway station, where it will be available for public viewing.