There was one new face and one defending champion on the podium at last yearโ€™s ceremony.

Barcelonaโ€™s Aitana Bonmati continued her dominance of womenโ€™s football by winning the Ballon dโ€™Or for the third year in a row, becoming the first female footballer to achieve that feat. Lionel Messi and Michel Platini are the only two male players to have done the three-peat.

After playing a starring role in Paris Saint-Germainโ€™s maiden Champions League triumph, Ousmane Dembele won the menโ€™s Ballon dโ€™Or for the first time. Given he and his team-mates successfully defended their European crown, the Frenchman might fancy his chances of winning the top individual prize again.