How to watch the Ballon d’Or awards live anywhere

The days when football was just a team game seem now to be consigned to history. Instead, it is the players that dominate the top end of the game, and individual awards are now seen as been almost as important as the team gongs.

Of those individual awards, the Ballon d’Or is without question the biggest.

This annual award, presented by French magazine France Football, is handed down to the player voted the best in the world over the course of a year.

It covers all leagues and all teams and, in theory at least, anyone can win it if they can garner enough support from the journalists, coaches and nation team captains who get a vote.

In recent years, with huge star names like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominating global football, the race for the Ballon d’Or has gone under much media scrutiny.

With those two now entering the twilight of the careers and plying their trade in the USA and Saudi Arabia these days, the focus is turning to the next generation of star players.

But who will win the Ballon d’Or this year? It’s a question all fans of elite football want to know the answer to. But watching the Ballon d’Or ceremony live is not easy as it is only broadcast in certain countries and, even then, it is often locked behind a paywall.

In this guide, we will tell you everything you need to know to watch the Ballon d’Or live from anywhere in the world.

Want to know the secret? Just keep on reading.

Where is the Ballon d’Or being shown?

The Ballon d’Or is being broadcast free-to-air in Australia on the SBS channel. It is also being streamed live and on-demand on the SBS On Demand streaming platform.

However, SBS On Demand is not available to anyone outside Australia, which is a big problem if, like me, you are a keen football fan and want to follow the Ballon d’Or ceremony live.

The good news is that there is a way to unblock SBS On Demand from anywhere and, as an ex-pat who has to unblock SBS On Demand and other streaming platforms regularly, I am well placed to tell you exactly how to do it.

How do I watch the Ballon d’Or where I am?

If you want to watch the Ballon d’Or live and for free on SBS On Demand outside Australia, you will need to use a Virtual Private Network or VPN.

A VPN is best known as an online security and privacy app that works by encrypting your online data and sending it through an external server. This step helps to mask your identity and location from the websites you visit and apps you use.

But it also helps to unblock streaming platforms too. This is because VPNs offer servers all over the world and when you connect to one overseas, it makes it appear as if you are in that country.

So, if you connect your VPN to an Australian server, it is possible to unblock and watch content, including the Ballon d’Or ceremony, on SBS On Demand, from literally anywhere in the world.

It’s a genius little hack and I know it works because I have used it many times myself.

Where to get a VPN?

If you want to use a VPN to unblock SBS On Demand and watch the Ballon d’Or ceremony, you need to be sure you are choosing the right one.

As a VPN reviewer myself, I have tested all the top VPNs and there is one that stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to this job.

ExpressVPN is the provider to choose.

Why? Well, firstly, it offers plenty of Australian connection points to choose from. It also has some of the fastest and most reliable speeds of any VPN and, given the distances your data will be travelling, this is crucial.

ExpressVPN also has apps that work with just about any streaming device you would care to mention and as well as robust security and privacy protections, which while aren’t essential for watching the Ballon d’Or are a handy throw in side feature.

It also offers great value for money compared to some of the competitors and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, I really like how this gives you loads of time to try before you commit.

If you want to shop around, NordVPN and CyberGhost VPN are two other VPN providers worth looking at. They both come with everything you need to watch the Ballon d’Or ceremony on SBS On Demand from abroad and both also come with a long money-back guarantee.

But I have done this for a long time and can say with complete confidence that my favourite and the best VPN for the job is ExpressVPN.

30-day money back guarantee

How to stream the Ballon d’Or in any country

To stream the Ballon d’Or from anywhere in the world on SBS On Demand using ExpressVPN, all you need to do is follow this simple step-by-step guide:

Step 1

Visit the ExpressVPN website and sign up for their 12-month + 3 fret deal. It comes with a 49% discount.

Step 2

Download and install the ExpressVPN app from either your device’s app store or their official website for security reasons.

Step 3

Log in to the ExpressVPN app using the new account details.

Step 4

In the app, click the Selected Location option, choose a server located in Australia, and click the Connect button to establish a connection.

Step 5

Open the SBS website or app and log in to the SBS On Demand streaming service. Once you have logged in, just find the Ballon d’Or live stream and you are away.

30-day money back guarantee

What is the Ballon d’Or all about?

The history of the Ballon d’Or

The Ballon d’Or was founded in 1956 by the French magazine France Football, which still runs the award today.

It was conceived by sports writers Gabriel Hanot and Jacques Ferran to award the male footballer who had performed best over the previous twelve months. From its inauguration until 2006, it was voted for solely by football journalists.

Initially, the award was focused on European players, but as more plays from outside the continent began playing in European leagues, it was expanded to include all players playing at European clubs.

In 2007, it was expanded to be a global prize and those eligible to vote was also expanded to include the coaches and captains of national teams.

In 2022, this was amended to being those countries ranked 1-100 in the FIFA rankings and another tweak saw the award be taken over a football season rather than a calendar year.

Past winners of the Ballon d’Or

The first winner of the Ballon d’Or was Stanley Matthews, who pipped Alfredo Di Stefano to the gong by just three votes. Di Stefano won the following year by a landslide.

The first non-European to win the Ballon d’Or didn’t happen until 2005, when George Weah of Liberia was triumphant. Perhaps surprisingly, it wasn’t until 2007 that the first Brazilian won, with the original Ronaldo having that honour.

Less surprisingly, the player to have won the Ballon d’Or the most times is Lionel Messi who has lifted the award no fewer than seven times, twice more than his closest rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

CR7 does hold the record for most nominations though with 18 so far.

The current holder of the Ballon d’Or is Karim Benzema of France and Real Madrid. But it is widely expected that there will be a new winner in 2023.

Who’s up for the Ballon d’Or this year?

Lionel Messi

The Argentine might now be plying his trade in the semi-retirement of Inter Miami and the MLS in the USA, but 2022 provided a fairy tale end to his career as he led Argentina to World Cup glory.

With seven goals and some truly talismanic performances along the way, as well as 21 goals in a title-winning season with Paris St Germain, few would bet against Messi adding another Ballon d’Or to his collection.

Erling Haaland

If anyone is a threat to Messi, it has to be Erling Haaland, the Manchester City and Norway striker who had an astonishing debut season in the Premier League.

He scored 52 goals in 53 appearances for City as they won the treble of Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. A remarkable return from a monster of a player.

Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe scored 41 goals in the last season for Paris St Germain and France in yet another remarkable return from this French prodigy.

He beat Messi to the World Cup golden boot with eight goals, including scoring a hat-trick in that remarkable final before suffering the agony of defeat in a penalty shoot-out.

Jude Bellingham

The talented young English player had a special season with Borussia Dortmund in Germany before suffering heartache when dropped points in their final game handed the title to Bayern Munich.

He did secure a big money move to Real Madrid however where he has started like a train. This year might be a bit too soon for Bellingham, but few would bet against him winning this award soon.

Bukayo Saka

Arsenal’s season to remember, which saw them return to the Champions League after pushing Man City all the way in the Premier League wouldn’t have happened without star boy Bukayo Sako.

He scored 15 goals in 48 games and created many more before ending his season with a first career hat trick for England. The two-time England player of the year and PFA Young Player of the Year has had a season to remember and is another likely to lift this award soon, if not this year.

Summary

The Ballon d’Or award is keenly watched by all fans of elite football and this year’s award looks to be more open than ever.

If you are keen to catch the action from the Ballon d’Or ceremony live and for free where you are, you can do with the help of a VPN.

ExpressVPN is the one to go for.

Just sign up for ExpressVPN, connect to an Australia-based location, and then you can log into SBS On Demand and enjoy the Ballon d’Or ceremony live and for free where you are.

As an ex-pat and a football fan myself, trust me, this works and is perfect to help you get your Ballon d’Or fix.