Le Ballon d’Or : le bijou du football signé Mellerio

September 30, 2025

The Ballon d'Or: the jewel of football branded Mellerio

For almost 70 years, the Golden Ball shines like the ultimate symbol of success in football. For this legendary trophy, there Maison Mellerio implements all its artisanal know-how and its demand for luxury, creating a unique piece each year in the heart of Paris. Discover more details in this article.

The Ballon d'Or: a symbol of football

The Ballon d'Or, created by France Football in 1956, embodies the highest distinction in world football, rewarding each season's best playerThis trophy, a true masterpiece of goldsmithing, is coveted by all generations of footballers, and has become over the decades a myth that inspires respect, admiration and dreams. True The consecration of a career, it highlights above all talent, commitment and human values, well beyond simple sporting performance.

The 2025 Ballon d'Or winner: Ousmane Dembélé, at the top of world football

During the 69th Ballon d'Or ceremony held at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, it is Ousmane Dembélé who was named the best player in the world for the 2024-2025 season. The French striker from Paris Saint-Germain, who had an exceptional season with 35 goals and 16 assists in all competitions, was unanimously voted for by the judges. Top scorer in Ligue 1 with 21 goals, he also shone in the Champions League, notably scoring two goals in the victorious final against Inter Milan (5-0). This award makes luhe is the sixth Frenchman to receive this prestigious award., joining legends like Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema. His victory, which came with a large margin against his main competitor Lamine Yamal, confirms his key role in PSG's collective triumph and his place at the top of world football.

Mellerio, the goldsmith of the trophy

But before embracing the stadiums and shining under the spotlights, This legendary trophy was born in the historic workshop of the Maison Mellerio, at 9 rue de la Paix in Paris, which has been responsible for its manufacture since its creation, there is more than 500 years.

Indeed, throughout history, jewelers from Mellerio worked for the greatest figures, including queens. From the end of the 18th century, Jean-Baptiste Mellerio settles in front of the Palace of Versailles where he attracts the attention of Queen Marie Antoinette, who acquires his jewels and makes maison an official supplier to the court. This privileged relationship with the queens, like Marie de Medici, Joséphine de Beauharnais, Empress Eugenie and Marie-Amélie, has been passed down from generation to generation, forging the reputation of Mellerio as "the jeweler to the crowned heads of Europe"Today, this exceptional expertise in goldsmithing and jewelry is illustrated in particular in the creation of the Ballon d'Or since 1956, but also other renowned sporting trophies such as those of Roland Garros (tennis).

The secrets of the Ballon d'Or

The process of creating the Ballon d'Or is completed in the greatest secrecy of the Parisian workshop of the Maison Mellerio. It all begins 6 months before the ceremony, mobilizing nearlya hundred hours of work meticulous, where artisanal excellence is the absolute rule.

The structure of the trophy is born from the welding of two brass hemispheres, an alloy made primarily of copper, for its golden hue and lightness. A meticulously crafted opening allows the ball to be set on a base of raw pyrite, a mineral stone chosen for its metallic luster and symbolic robustness, which firmly anchors the work.
Subsequently, the ball passes into the expert hands of the chiseler, which fills it with a specific material called “cement”, which gives volume to the heart of the trophy and is especially useful for embossing the metal. This precise operation, which faithfully reveals the 32 stitched panels of the iconic leather ball, alone requires nearly 15 hours of uninterrupted attention. The chaser shapes each seam, each relief by hand, giving the trophy its realism and nobility.
Then comes the finishing work : the polisher intervenes to smooth the surface of the ball to a perfect shine, before entrusting the trophy to the engraver. The latter hand-inscribed the France Football logo and the year of publication on the golden surface, in a gesture of high precision and authentic craftsmanship. The Ballon d'Or is then immersed in a gold bath, covered with a fine precious layer giving it its legendary shine, without however achieving the myth of the trophy entirely in solid gold: it actually weighs between 12 and 15 kilos, of perfect dimensions to mark each victory.
Final assembly is done with precision: the ball, once gilded, is mounted on its pyrite base, meticulously leveled to ensure stability on the gilded brass plate. Each Ballon d'Or is a completely unique piece, entirely handmade; the winner therefore leaves with his trophy, unlike certain major sporting prizes which remain the property of the organizers.

In short, this masterpiece is the fruit of theWedding band of several artistic professions: goldsmith, chaser, polisher, engraver, gilder, glyptician… all mobilized to perpetuate a tradition almost 70 years old for this legendary trophy. In the workshop of Mellerio, Each Ballon d'Or embodies the luxury, artistic passion and prestige of world football.