PREVIEW

Andriy Shevchenko has taken his Ballon d'Or home to his Ukrainian homeland - where it will tour several frontline cities hard hit by Russian bombs.

The AC Milan legend won football’s greatest prize 20 years ago this month, becoming the first Ukrainian to win the Ballon d'Or since his country’s independence.

To commemorate this anniversary, Shevchenko has brought the award to Ukraine. It is being displayed in Kyiv’s Taras Shevchenko Park from December 7 to 15, before embarking on a tour across the country from December 16. The park is named after Ukraine’s national poet - who shares the football superstar’s last name.

Expressing his delight at bringing the award home, the city where he made his name as Dynamo’s star striker, Shevchenko said: "This is one of the most exciting moments of my career. I’m happy that the Ballon d’Or is here in Kyiv today and that it will continue its journey across Ukrainian cities to inspire children to take up football.”

He added: “To remind everyone that effort and perseverance pay off. To prove that anything is possible if you truly love what you do. I believe that the next Ukrainian Ballon d’Or winner is already growing up here."

Shevchenko first came to global attention by leading his Dynamo Kyiv team to the 1998/99 Champions League semi-finals, knocking out Arsenal and Real Madrid en route.

He then joined AC Milan - leading the Rossoneri to Serie A, and winning the Champions League.
Additionally, he captained Ukraine’s national team, which had a successful start to the qualifying cycle in 2004, eventually securing its first-ever spot in the FIFA World Cup.

The Ballon d’Or will be on display in Kyiv until 15 December 2024. Following that, Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) will transport the trophy across Ukraine.

The tour will include stops in towns that have been hard hit by Russian attacks, including several close to the frontlines.

These are Kramatorsk, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Shevchenko’s hometown, Yahotyn. In each city, the award will be showcased at the central railway station and will be accessible to everyone.

The Ballon d’Or means a lot to Ukrainians - as three have claimed the title of best footballer in the world. Only one fewer than the number of English winners. However, Shevchenko was the first to win the award as a Ukrainian citizen as Oleh Blokhin and Ihor Belanov’s wins came before the country’s independence from the Soviet Union.