| MODRIC | The only player other than Ronaldo or Messi to win the Ballon d'Or in the 2010s. (6) |
| ALOU | Only player other than Sheffield to make the All-Star team with five different clubs |
| LUKA | Croatian footballer who in 2018 became the first player other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or in more than a decade (4,6) |
| LUKAMODRIC | Croatian footballer who in 2018 became the first player other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or in more than a decade |
| LEO | Tolstoy or Messi, to fans |
| LIONEL | Richie or Messi, eg (6) |
| CRUYFF | He won the Ballon d'or in 1971, 1973, and 1974. (6) |
| ZIDANE | Footballer who won the Ballon d'Or in 1998 (8,6) |
| BEAUNE | Small town in Cote d'Or in South France, in the centre of the Burgundy wine industries (6) |
| SARRON | French racing brothers who teamed up to win the Bol D'Or in 1994. (6) |
| PIERRE | Younger brother of Jacques Bolle, a former Olympic wrestler who went on to win the Bol D'Or in 1986. (6) |
| GOALIE | Colloquially, what do we call the only player permitted to us the hands to touch a soccer ball (6) |
| AMELIA | Who is the only player to have taken a five-wkt haul in the recently-concluded WPL 2025? (6,4) |
| KAKA | Who was the last player to win the Ballon d'Or before a 10-year run of Messi and Ronaldo victories? (4) |
| MICHEL | ___ Platini French former soccer player who has won the Ballon d'Or trophy three times |
| ALEXIA | Spanish footballer and two-time winner of the Ballon d'Or Feminin, _ Putellas (6) |
| OWEN | Who was the last English footballer to win the Ballon d'Or? (4) |
| GEORGEBEST | Northern Irish Manchester United player who won the Ballon d'or in 1968 (6,4) |
| KEVINKEEGAN | Footballer who won the Ballon d'Or in 1978 and 1979 (5,6) |
| ZINEDINE | Footballer who won the Ballon d'Or in 1998 (8,6) |
