Splintered Votes, Shattered Dreams

Eight players from Millwall's current squad were among the 50 nominees for this year's Ballon d'Or. Including Claude Makélélé, who left in the summer, nine members of last season's starting lineup received nominations.

As per tradition, at least half of the 50 nominees would end up with zero votes and zero points. Within Millwall, players like Schneider, Zambrotta, and Southgate were nominated, but their chances of winning—or even making it into the top ten or top twenty—were slim.

Millwall's success wasn't viewed as being built on defense, despite the undeniable link between defense and offense. In a system that values eye-catching performances, defensive players rarely receive the recognition they deserve.

Millwall's formidable attacking squad was naturally among the top contenders for the awards. Each player brought their own unique qualities, and their combined synergy made them indispensable to the team. This was evident as five Millwall stars attended the Ballon d'Or ceremony together, with even the injured Nedvěd making an appearance.

Dressed in sharp suits, the players entered the venue in unison and participated in pre-event interviews, where they humorously flattered one another with shameless compliments.

Nedvěd confidently stated that Henry deserved the award.Henry praised Larsson as the worthy recipient.Larsson claimed Ronaldinho had the best shot.Ronaldinho humbly described Pirlo as the most underrated maestro.

The five stars shamelessly complimented one another before taking their prominent seats, chatting and laughing as the evening unfolded. While each secretly hoped to win, they also believed that, at the very least, one of them would bring home the trophy. At Millwall, they had learned to embrace the concept of collective success: one player's glory was the team's pride.

Nedvěd, a realist, had already accepted that defending his Ballon d'Or title was unlikely. Larsson, too, understood that his impact last season couldn't eclipse Henry's brilliance. Ronaldinho's dazzling style aligned with the award's emphasis on flair, while Pirlo, known for his enigmatic presence, kept a calm and composed demeanor.

The favorite among them, however, was Thierry Henry. His sheer dominance as a goal-scoring machine last season, combined with Millwall's trophy-laden campaign, seemed unmatched.

When the final moment arrived, Henry was visibly tense, his expression far more serious than his teammates, who maintained a relaxed demeanor with polite smiles. Yet as the results were announced, shock swept across the room.

The winner was... Luís Figo!

Second place went to Zinedine Zidane.

Third? Andriy Shevchenko.

Not a single Millwall player made it into the top three.

The Millwall stars weren't just absent from the podium—they didn't even get a chance to step on stage!

The atmosphere in the venue grew awkward as glances, filled with a mix of sympathy and disbelief, were directed toward Henry and his teammates.

Applause filled the room as Figo was celebrated, but murmurs of skepticism quickly followed.

For many, it was one thing for Millwall to fail in securing back-to-back Ballon d'Or wins. But for none of their players to break into the top three? What were the judges thinking when they cast their votes?

After a brief moment of awkwardness, the five Millwall players joined in the applause. Henry's smile, however, betrayed a hint of bitterness.

When the detailed voting results were displayed, the murmurs grew louder.

Luís Figo: 101 pointsZinedine Zidane: 99 pointsAndriy Shevchenko: 85 pointsThierry Henry: 84 pointsRonaldinho: 82 pointsHenrik Larsson: 77 pointsPavel Nedvěd: 73 pointsAndrea Pirlo: 69 pointsRivaldo: 39 points

What a record-breaking day in the Ballon d'Or's history!

Not only were Figo and Zidane neck-and-neck for the top spot, with the margin between first and second being almost negligible—essentially the difference of one judge's ranking choice—but the gaps between the players in the subsequent positions were similarly razor-thin.

When the rankings were revealed, with Millwall securing 4th to 8th places, some veteran journalists at the event let out audible sighs.

Does this result signify a victory for Millwall, or does it, as the rankings suggest, reflect a loss?

The Ballon d'Or has always valued "impression points"—an accumulation of popularity over time. Stars like Figo, Zidane, and Shevchenko, who have been consistently nominated and performing well in recent seasons, benefit from this system. Unless their annual performance drops significantly, they're guaranteed a solid baseline score. Add to that the personal preferences and inclinations of the voters, and it's clear why their scores rarely plummet.

Yet, as today's results reveal, the top three scorers barely garnered enough votes to be considered convincing winners.

Figo made headlines with his contentious transfer to Real Madrid during the summer. This season, however, Real Madrid can only compete in the UEFA Cup. While their dominance in the competition has been undeniable, does it really matter? After all, the UEFA Cup is Europe's secondary intercontinental club tournament—how could it ever compare to the prestige of the Champions League?

If Zidane had won, the debate wouldn't be as heated. After all, he led France to the European Championship title this summer. However, his infamous red card incident during the Champions League likely tarnished his reputation and cost him critical points in the voting process.

As for Shevchenko, who finished third, his role as the linchpin of AC Milan's attack over the past seasons built up a strong foundation of impression points. His current score might be considered ordinary under other circumstances, but given how close he came to the top two, it suddenly appears extraordinary.

But what about the five Millwall players ranked between fourth and eighth?

Had Millwall produced just one or two clear frontrunners, the club might have clinched the Ballon d'Or outright. Instead, the internal vote-splitting was severe.

Any redistribution of votes among Millwall's five stars could have easily propelled two of them to the top. Over the past four seasons, Millwall has steadily built a solid foundation of impression points: three league titles, two Champions League trophies, one Cup Winners' Cup, and even during their "off" year, they still made it to the semifinals. This is a team that crafted an extraordinary streak of 65 unbeaten matches over nearly two years. How could the voters overlook such dominance?

When Larsson and Nedvěd previously won the Ballon d'Or, Millwall's team honors were indisputable. Larsson led Europe in goals scored for the year, while Nedvěd swept individual accolades, including Champions League MVP and Premier League Player of the Year. Both also benefited from their previous Ballon d'Or nominations, laying the groundwork for their eventual triumphs.

This year, Larsson's performance remained consistent, maintaining his foundational points. Even Nedvěd, despite being sidelined by a severe injury at the start of the season, had his contributions to Millwall's treble-winning campaign firmly cemented in voters' memories.

Ronaldinho, a rising favorite among voters, continued to ascend, while Pirlo's indispensable role at Millwall began garnering overdue recognition. The more attention Millwall commanded, the more undeniable Pirlo's contributions became.

Then there's Henry—impossible to fault in his performances. A Champions League and league double, dual Golden Boots, and a treble-winning campaign. Coupled with France's European Championship triumph, he emerged as Millwall's top scorer in the Ballon d'Or voting. Yet, it still wasn't enough to claim the award.

If this were a "Best Team" award, Millwall would be the undisputed winner. UEFA acknowledged as much a few months ago when they granted Millwall that very honor.

But the Ballon d'Or demands individual brilliance. Faced with five standout players from Millwall, voters were spoilt for choice, and their preferences ultimately resulted in a fractured tally.

The awards ceremony has concluded. Controversy or not, the results stand as they are.

The five Millwall stars, impeccably dressed in suits, congratulated Figo on winning the Ballon d'Or with polished PR statements before leaving in a hurry.

Once outside, they climbed into the SUV, exchanged wry smiles, and then burst into laughter that grew louder with each passing moment.

Perhaps they were recalling how confident they'd been on the way there, each imagining congratulating a teammate on winning the award or, at worst, consoling someone for narrowly missing out. They'd even prepared comforting words.

Now? What was there to console?

Ronaldinho suggested grabbing some late-night snacks to lighten the mood and shake off the awkwardness and disappointment of the Ballon d'Or ceremony. Nobody objected. At this moment, doing something to distract themselves seemed like the best idea.

The Ballon d'Or results not only dealt them a blow but left them confused.

We've won the treble. We're unbeaten in 65 matches. We're already legends in football's mythic halls.

And yet, we can't even come close to the Ballon d'Or?

What more do we have to do, for heaven's sake? Win a World Cup?

"Oh, but Henry already has a World Cup," one mused. "And a European Championship to boot… He's just missing a UEFA Cup to complete the grand slam. What is this, a quest to collect every trophy and chant some magic spell to summon the Ballon d'Or?"

Aldrich watched the Ballon d'Or ceremony from home. That afternoon, his team had returned from a loss at Goodison Park. In the evening, as he watched the live broadcast on TV, he saw the expressions on his five players' faces the moment the result was announced. The camera cut to them instantly.

Like them, Aldrich could only muster a bitter smile.

Millwall already had two Ballon d'Or winners in its ranks. The club didn't need to push for another. It wasn't that they couldn't; Aldrich simply felt that deliberately promoting one player risked alienating others, creating a sense of unfairness within the team.

They still ran PR campaigns, but the club itself stayed out of it. During the Ballon d'Or voting phase, Millwall's Fleet Street-friendly media outlets tirelessly hyped their stars, with Henry's stats being magnified repeatedly.

However, as Millwall was already Europe's focal point, the hype from Fleet Street often got drowned out by broader discussions of the entire team in European mainstream media. This diluted the effect, and instead, debates among football pundits grew louder.

"You think Henry's amazing? I believe Ronaldinho is the most dangerous player in breaking deadlocks. He's the real key."

"Ronaldinho? No, it's Nedvěd. His mental impact on the team is unparalleled. He's a leader."

This endless chorus of opinions made it difficult for any PR effort to achieve the desired result.

Though missing out on the Ballon d'Or was a bit disappointing, life had to go on.

The next day, Aldrich received some good news.

In the fierce rivalry match between Manchester United and Liverpool, Liverpool delivered a last-minute blow to snatch victory at Old Trafford!

Both Millwall and Manchester United had lost their matches this round. Millwall missed the chance to leapfrog into the lead, while United failed to widen the gap. The difference between the two remained at one point.

In the next league match, a clash of titans awaited. The result of that match would decide whether Manchester United could stay at the top of the table.