Fara Williams
Former England midfielder

It's her IQ - her game understanding is right up there with the very best.

She controls the midfield for Barcelona - really gets them going. She doesn't just control it, but she adds goals and assist to her game. When you’re a midfielder and you have those attributes, you’re really key.

Image source, Getty Images

Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist

Aitana Bonmati controls the game, has goals, assists, personality. She is growing fantastically well with a team who have taken women's football to a new dimension.

She has the high standards any midfielder should aspire to, but, because the Ballon d'Or is not just about the football, she also represents the club and national side very well.

She is a reference for kids on the stands and kids in the game. She is a great representative for football.

I said earlier on that Aitana Bonmati was not at the ceremony tonight, but this was an error. She is present, has accepted her award and is addressing the audience.

In Spanish, she thanks her club, team mates and Barca president Juan Laporta.

For the second successive year, Aitana Bonmati wins the women's Ballon d'Or, after helping Barcelona retain both the La Liga F and Champions League titles.

She follows club and international team mate Alexia Putellas in winning back to back titles.

We have just two trophies left to present - and they are the two main ones.

First the Ballon d'Or Feminin, to be presented by actress and Angel City owner Natalie Portman.

She reveals that she and her son, who live in Paris, are regulars at PSG matches.

More awkwardness, as we have another absent winner.

Carlo Ancelotti is named men's coach of the year, after leading Real Madrid to the Champions League title.

But with Real Madrid boycotting the ceremony, we have no acceptance speech...

Image source, Getty Images

The first Women's Coach of the Year award winner is English.

Emma Hayes wins it after Chelsea defended the WSL title. Hayes then became United States manager and led them to Olympic gold.

Hayes isn't able to attend the ceremony, but has recorded a video message.

"I'm very honoured. My family are very proud to be in this position," she said.

"I am a little embarrassed as this is a team game. I am so honoured to coach incredible teams at Chelsea and USA. This is a very proud day."

We are about to hear the winners of the first ever Ballon d'Or trophies for managers...

Tigres forward Jennifer Hermoso after winning the Socrates Trophy: "I'd like to thank everyone for this award, it is a real honour. It makes me really aware of the responsibility of the award, what I share with my colleagues on and off the pitch.

"Women's football deserves a place for new and future generations. This morning, I woke up and remembered a voice of a little girl saying she wanted to become a footballer, I find it inspiring. I want to keep that going and help make the world a better place.

"I'd like to ask all of you to get together and work together in order to make a better world possible and to make football become what little girls deserve for the future."

Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez after winning the Yashin Trophy: "It's huge for me. I always dreamed of playing one game for the national team. Coming as such a young lad to England, to Aston Villa and the national team. Winning once was such an honour, winning back-to-back I couldn't believe. Winning such an honour for my family and friends.

On his playing style: "Sometimes, when you are on the pitch, you behave the way you want to win the game. Off the pitch, I am proud man, a husband and a brother. On it, with Aston Villa, we just want to continue progressing."

On being the best goalkeeper in the world: "I don't see myself as the best, there's so many good goalies that I see today and week in, week out. I only care about the group efforts. I just want to improve myself."

Fara Williams
Former England midfielder on The Football News Show

Again there is some fantastic coaches out there in the women’s game. I think we saw what Emma Hayes did at Chelsea, the legacy she left there, that battle went on in the WSL that went down to the wire, she did a fantastic job.

Then to take over the US National Team, and go and win the Olympics having only been there a couple of months, shows the quality of a coach to be able to do that. And, to completely change round a US team that was lacking over so many areas in the last couple of years. So, for me she tips it because of the Olympics gold in the summer.

But we all know what Sarina [Wiegman] has done with this Lioness team, and good she’s been and consistent she’s been in recent years.

Image source, Getty Images

Next up are the awards for best men's and women's coaches.

It is announced that both trophies will now be named after Barcelona's legendary player and manager Johan Cruyff.

The latest rankings in the men's Ballon d'Or are announced.

Lautaro Martinez comes seventh, Kylian Mbappe sixth, and Erling Haaland fifth.

Inter Milan and Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez on Emiliano Martinez winning the Yashin Trophy: "He is a very special person, he is a winner and that is important in our team. He helps the young kids who come train with us, he always has nice words for them because he's a gem of a person.

On how many penalties he would score if he took 10 against Emiliano Martinez: "It's hard to say. It's very difficult to say. He's great and he waits at the end, he's very careful."

Image source, Getty Images

The Socrates Award, given to a footballer who has done exemplary humanitarian work, is awarded to Spain's Jennifer Hermoso.

Hermoso, a World Cup winner with Spain and multiple trophy winner with Barcelona, has been an outspoken advocate for women's football and against sexual harassment in the game.

She was kissed by former Spanish FA chief Luis Rubiales after the 2023 World Cup final, which she later said was not consensual - sticking to her guns even when put under immense pressure by the Spanish governing body.

Image source, Getty Images

The rankings from seventh to fifth in the Ballon d'Or Feminin are revealed.

France's Marie-Antoinette Katoto comes seventh, with American gold medallists at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Mallory Swanson and Lindsey Horan, sixth and fifth respectively.

Inter Milan and Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez ahead of award the Yashin Trophy: "It's a pleasure to be here. I've been able to win important title with my club and with Argentina. We work so hard in order to reach our goals as a group. The idea is to keep rolling and win titles."

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez after winning the Yashin Trophy: "First of all, thank you all very much. It's an honour to be back. I'd like to thank my colleagues, my teammates at Aston Villa. They all know how demanding I am.

"I come from a very humble place and this is something that makes me want to do better and improve. It is the group effort that makes things happen."

As well as helping Aston Villa reach the Premier League top four, Emi Martinez also played a key role in Argentina winning the Copa America with five clean sheets in six games.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, no. No he did not give the Yashin Trophy the same treatment he gave the World Cup golden glove.