For its 70th anniversary, the Ballon d’Or comes to London for the ceremony on October 26th. Creator of the renowned trophy, Maison Mellerio welcomes the press to discover its history and savoir-faire directly from its atelier.
For 70 years, Mellerio has had the privilege of crafting one of the most iconic trophies in the world. Created in 1956, the Ballon d’Or has accompanied the greatest moments in football history for seven decades, passing from the hands of one generation of exceptional players to the next.
Founded in 1613, Mellerio is the oldest jewellery house in the world. For more than four centuries, it has upheld exceptional craftsmanship and a unique tradition of jewellery-making and goldsmithing, in the service of kings and queens. The Ballon d’Or fully embodies this heritage, where artisanal excellence meets history.
In 2026, for the first time in its history, the Ballon d’Or ceremony moves to London, in tribute to Stanley Matthews, the English footballer who received the very first trophy in 1956. Seventy years later, the trophy symbolically returns to the home country of its first winner. On this occasion, Mellerio celebrates both the story of an object that has become iconic and the legacy of a Maison that, for more than four centuries, has kept exceptional craftsmanship alive.
The skills that bring the Ballon d’Or to life (hand engraving, stone setting, gem selection and meticulous finishing) are the same ones that shape Mellerio’s jewellery collections. For 70 years, the trophy has been made with this same savoir-faire, carrying on a rare continuity of gestures and crafts passed down from generation to generation.
The pyrite that forms the trophy’s base, selected and then shaped with the same care as a precious stone, embodies this shared expertise on its own. This anniversary celebrates far more than football’s most prestigious individual award: it is an invitation to discover the Maison’s creative world in all its richness, from bespoke high jewellery creations to the timeless pieces that have defined Mellerio’s identity since 1613.
The precision that goes into engraving a single name on the trophy is the same precision that governs every stone set and every clasp completed in the Maison’s Parisian workshops. For 70 years, this commitment to excellence has guided every stage in the creation of the Ballon d’Or.
For seven decades, the Ballon d’Or has followed the evolution of football, passing from one generation of champions to the next. Raised aloft in moments of triumph, immortalised in photographs and recognised the world over, it has become far more than an award. Its silhouette is familiar, yet its meaning is renewed each year with the player who receives it.
This is where Mellerio’s role takes on its full significance. The Maison crafts an object meant to celebrate a singular achievement, while also being destined to stand the test of time and outlast it.
Over the years, the Ballon d’Or has become the meeting point of two worlds: the passion and emotion of football, and the excellence of French savoir-faire in the world of luxury. Its legacy lies in this continuity: that of an exceptional trophy, handcrafted in Paris, which for 70 years has accompanied the greatest names in football and continues to embody that unique moment when achievement enters history.