To some, it’s the highest individual honour that a footballer can receive. To others, it’s a vanity award, a simple popularity contest. But it has an interesting history and every year seems to get more controversial.

So how do you win it? Who decides it? Do players care about it? And what is the plural of Ballon d’Or?

Fans of the A-League call it the best league in the world. Whether that’s true or not, it’s a beautiful league and it’s uniquely Australian. In part two of our series on football in Australia, we’re talking about how the A-League was created, and what it is today.

Last week, Australia’s professional football league, the A-League, kicked off its 20th season! To celebrate this milestone, our next two episodes are dedicated to the national football leagues in Australia. It is a complicated story of identity, crowd trouble, fighting against forces that want to destroy football in Australia, before being reborn in the early 2000s.

オーストラリアのプロサッカーリーグ、Aリーグが20周年のシーズンを迎えました！この特別な節目を祝うため、2回のエピソードに渡りオーストラリアのリーグについて特集します。アイデンティティ、観客のトラブル、サッカーを壊そうとする勢力との闘い、そして2000年代初めに復活するという、様々な要素が絡み合った物語を紹介していきます。

The J.League is one of the most interesting football leagues in the world. On the pitch, amazing talent brings excitement to a competitive and unpredictable league. Off the pitch, fans add vibrant colour and endless support, creating a matchday experience that stands out among leagues and sports worldwide.

Recapping the latest World Cup Qualifying battle between Japan and Australia.

Taking a break from our usual format to answer some questions from our listeners.

Manchester City forward Bernardo Silva said only one team came to play football in their 2-2 Premier League draw with Arsenal, who were accused of employing "dark arts" at Etihad Stadium.

"There was only one team that came to play football," Silva told TNT Sports Brazil. "The other came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee, unfortunately.

"I'm glad we always enter the pitch to try to win every match."

They are officially the worst team in international football, but San Marino finally ended a 20-year winless run earlier this month by beating Liechtenstein 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League.

It was FIFA’s lowest-ranked team’s first-ever competitive win, with their only previous victory coming in a 1-0 friendly against the same opposition in 2004 — playing 140 matches between wins.

The 2024/25 Champions League kicked off this week, and it’s the first season of a brand new format. 36 teams playing in a League system, with each team playing against 8 different opponents. Is this an exciting change to the most prestigious club competition in the world, or just another case of trying to fix something that didn’t need to be fixed?

Aston Villa fans have called the club "out of touch" for charging up to £97 a ticket for home Champions League matches this season.

Villa announced on Wednesday that adult tickets for their four home matches will be priced at £85, £94 and £97, with season ticket-holders getting slight discounts.

The Football Supporters' Association called Villa's ticket prices "truly eye-watering".

"Loyal Villa fans who've waited as long as 40 years to celebrate this momentous season are being punished and exploited.”