Andriy Shevchenko has revealed how AC Milan helped inspire his pursuit of the Ballon d’Or, recalling the words he heard from the club’s chief executive Ariedo Braida when he joined the Italian giants in 1999.
Speaking to FourFourTwo, the former Ukraine striker recalled meeting Braida in Kyiv after Milan had begun pursuing his signature. Braida presented him with a Milan shirt bearing his name and told him: “The only way to win the Ballon d’Or is by playing for us.”
Shevchenko said the message was enough to convince him, explaining that joining Milan was an honour and that he dreamed of achieving both goals.
“I dreamed of achieving both things,” he recalled.
The forward went on to enjoy a successful spell at San Siro, helping Milan win the Champions League in 2003 before claiming the Ballon d’Or a year later.
Reflecting on his triumph in 2004, Shevchenko said that his consistent performances over several seasons had put him in contention for football’s most prestigious individual award.
“I’d been scoring many goals for several seasons, and I knew that playing for a big club like Milan put me in contention for it,” he explained.
He also highlighted Ukraine’s 3-0 victory away to Turkiye in World Cup qualifying as an important moment in his campaign. Shevchenko scored twice in the match and felt that the performance brought him closer to winning the award.
The Ukrainian was competing against leading players, including Deco and Ronaldinho, but viewed the Ballon d’Or as recognition of his sustained excellence.
“It was reward for three or four years performing at the highest level,” he said.
Shevchenko received the award at a ceremony in Paris, attended by his wife and Milan representatives Adriano Galliani and Leonardo. The occasion held particular significance for the striker, who had dreamed of winning the prize since childhood.
His victory also made him the third Ukrainian footballer to win the Ballon d’Or, following Oleh Blokhin and Ihor Belanov.
“The satisfaction was gigantic,” Shevchenko said of the achievement.
His Ballon d’Or triumph in 2004 remains one of the defining moments of a career that saw him establish himself as one of the leading strikers of his generation.