Despite Arsenal’s illustrious history, no player has ever won the Ballon d’Or whilst wearing the red and white shirt, although this may be about to change.
Thierry Henry came close to winning the award in 2003, after an exceptional year at Highbury, but ultimately finished as the runner-up as he was pipped to it by Pavel Nedved.
The Frenchman also finished on the podium in 2006, coming third to Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluigi Buffon.
Beth Mead also came close to winning the Ballon d’Or, finishing second in 2022 after winning the Euros with England.
Arsenal striker Alessia Russo could now win the 2025 Ballon d’Or
The Arsenal Men currently have no players in serious contention for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
However, the Arsenal Women now have three players who are in the race, and one may just have taken the lead.
England beat Spain in the Euro 2025 final on Sunday night via a penalty shootout, securing their second consecutive triumph in the competition.
Chloe Kelly scored the winning penalty, emphatically converting her spot-kick after a series of poor efforts.
While Kelly’s penalty was the decisive moment in the final, Alessia Russo was the star of the tournament for the Lionesses.
Serena Wiegman’s team were outplayed by the Spaniards in the opening 45 minutes, and looked unlikely to be able to reverse the deficit the World Champions had built through Mariona Caldentey.
However, Russo scored a spectacular header in the second half to drag England back into the game and ultimately send the clash into extra time.
While the Arsenal striker only netted twice throughout the tournament, her relentless running up front provided the Lionesses with a focal point throughout.
As well as proving to be a talismanic figure for her national team, Russo scored 20 goals and registered five assists for Arsenal last season.
Eight of these strikes came en route to Arsenal’s Champions League triumph, and these exploits have elevated her into contention for the Ballon d’Or.
While Gunners teammates Kelly and Caldentey are also contenders, Russo may now be the favourite for the award.
The former Manchester United striker has the potential to write her name into the Arsenal history books and become the first player to win the Ballon d’Or while representing the Gunners.
Could Bukayo Saka win the Ballon d’Or in the future?
While the Arsenal Women marched towards glory in May and continue to produce players who are up for the biggest prizes in football, the Arsenal Men have stood still.
Mikel Arteta’s squad has not lifted silverware since 2020, and none of the Spaniard’s players currently look capable of even being in the conversation for a Ballon d’Or.
That said, Bukayo Saka is arguably the player closest to being up for such an award.
The winger has been posting exceptional numbers since breaking through into the Gunners’ first team, and was on course for an outstanding season before his injury last campaign.
If he can produce similar output for an entire season, and lead Arsenal and England to silverware in 2026, then there’s no reason he can’t be in contention for the Ballon d’Or.
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