The&nbsp;Ballon d’Or, soccer’s most prestigious individual honor, is awarded annually to the best player in the world. The likes of&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/cristiano-ronaldo/">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/lionel-messi/">Lionel Messi</a>&nbsp;have claimed it multiple times, yet no Premier League player has lifted the trophy since Ronaldo in 2008.



Still, that hasn’t stopped English clubs from weaving&nbsp;special Ballon d’Or clauses&nbsp;into player contracts. The latest to have one is&nbsp;Chelsea’s teenage star, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/estevao/">Estevao Willian</a>. But he’s far from alone. Over the years, several high-profile players — including some whose Premier League careers ended quietly — have had similar clauses. Their stories, however, are often as surprising as the clauses themselves.



Chelsea, in their quest for Premier League dominance, splashed heavily in recent transfer windows. Alongside new arrivals, it was Estevao, signed in&nbsp;June 2024&nbsp;from Palmeiras, who drew the most excitement. The Brazilian attacker officially joined the club this summer upon turning 18. 



In a pre-season friendly against Bayer Leverkusen, he needed just&nbsp;18 minutes&nbsp;to score on his debut. Early talk has already linked him to future Ballon d’Or contention. According to&nbsp;Fabrizio Romano,&nbsp;“Estevao has a Ballon d’Or clause in his contract, and Palmeiras will receive a bonus if he wins the award as a Chelsea player any time before 2033.



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<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Chelsea 2-0 Bayer Leverkusen | FULL MATCH | Chelsea FC 2025-26" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2dbUC64IvbI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
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<h2>Other Premier League players with Ballon d’Or clauses</h2>



Estevao’s clause is the newest, but not the first. In fact, the Premier League has a quiet history of inserting such incentives into contracts — and the results have been mixed. Anthony Martial&nbsp;was just 19 when he joined Manchester United from Monaco in&nbsp;2015. The deal included an approximately&nbsp;$10 million payment to Monaco if Martial won the Ballon d’Or. Despite early promise, he never came close, leaving United in 2024 after scoring&nbsp;90 goals in 317 appearances.



Cristiano Ronaldo, during his 2021 return to Manchester United, reportedly had a&nbsp;$1.3 million bonus&nbsp;for winning the Ballon d’Or, UEFA Player of the Year, or the Champions League. His final Ballon d’Or podium finish was back in 2017.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250814_WST_584404_Cristiano-Ronaldo-Manchester-United-1-1200x675_e06570cb.webp&amp;width=650&amp;height=365" alt="Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United." class="wp-image-548798" width="650" height="365" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/14172656/Cristiano-Ronaldo-Manchester-United-1-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/14172656/Cristiano-Ronaldo-Manchester-United-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/14172656/Cristiano-Ronaldo-Manchester-United-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/14172656/Cristiano-Ronaldo-Manchester-United-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/14172656/Cristiano-Ronaldo-Manchester-United-1-740x416.jpg 740w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/14172656/Cristiano-Ronaldo-Manchester-United-1-490x275.jpg 490w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/14172656/Cristiano-Ronaldo-Manchester-United-1-250x140.jpg 250w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/14172656/Cristiano-Ronaldo-Manchester-United-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px"></figure></figure>



Mohamed Salah’s clause was unusual: It has been&nbsp;reported that his Liverpool contract allowed him to request a move to&nbsp;Real Madrid&nbsp;or&nbsp;Barcelona&nbsp;if he failed to win the Ballon d’Or. Despite coming close in 2019, the move never materialized, and he extended his contract to 2027.



Thiago Alcantara, signed by Liverpool from Bayern Munich in 2020, had Ballon d’Or-related bonuses as part of an $8 million performance package. Injuries limited him to&nbsp;98 appearances&nbsp;before his 2024 retirement, without ever receiving a nomination.



Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United’s captain, has a clause awarding Sporting Lisbon an extra&nbsp;$5.8 million&nbsp;each time he finishes in the top three. His best result so far?&nbsp;21st place in 2021.



<h2>Why clubs use these clauses</h2>



For clubs, these clauses serve as&nbsp;prestige insurance: if a player becomes the best in the world, paying a bonus is a small price compared to the value of their success. For selling clubs, it’s a bet on potential that might pay off years later.



Yet, history shows that while Ballon d’Or clauses sound glamorous, most remain dormant. Estevao Willian’s journey is just beginning — and time will tell whether his name joins the short list of players who made those clauses count.

Not just Cristiano Ronaldo and Estevao Willian: What happened to the Premier League players with Ballon d’Or contract clauses?

Not just Cristiano Ronaldo and Estevao Willian: What happened to the Premier League players with Ballon d’Or contract clauses? - World Soccer Talk

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Thiago Alcantara’s summer has been nothing short of eventful, marking the end of his professional playing career and the beginning of a new chapter as a coach at Barcelona.



After four injury-plagued years at <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/liverpool-tv-schedule/">Liverpool</a>, Thiago announced his retirement from the sport at the age of 33. 



This decision came after a difficult final season in which he managed only one appearance due to persistent injuries. As his contract with the Reds expired on June 30, Thiago bid farewell to his playing days. Then, he embarked on a brief but impactful stint with <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/barcelona-tv-schedule/">Barcelona</a>.



Thiago’s return with the Blaugrana was not as a player but as a member of new head coach <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/flick-already-had-deal-with-another-club-before-barcelona-move/">Hansi Flick</a>’s backroom team. 



Given his deep ties to the club and understanding of Flick’s coaching philosophy, Thiago’s return was a natural fit.



Before joining Bayern Munich and playing under Flick, Thiago had already made more than 100 appearances for the club; having come through the renowned La Masia system. 



His familiarity with both the club and the coach made him an ideal candidate to help facilitate Flick’s transition to his new role at Montjuic.



One of the anticipated challenges for Flick in his new position was the language barrier; especially as the German manager is not fluent in Spanish or English. 



Thiago, fluent in all three languages, was instrumental in bridging this communication gap. His role as an intermediary between Flick and the players was crucial in ensuring that the manager’s strategies and instructions were clear to the players. 



Thiago has great potential as a coach because of his ability to connect with the team. This brief experience allowed him to use his language abilities and expertise to help the team.



<h2>Why did Thiago have to leave Barcelona?</h2>



Despite making a promising start with the Barcelona coaching staff, his time in Spain was short.



On August 16, Thiago left his post and returned to Merseyside.



This was due to tax issues related to the termination of his contract at Liverpool. 



This abrupt departure was not entirely surprising, as Barcelona had anticipated the situation and already lined up a replacement. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="800" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240817_WST_523186_imago1048788593h-1200x800_247aae86.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=800" alt="" class="wp-image-523198" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/08/imago1048788593h-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/08/imago1048788593h-300x200.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/08/imago1048788593h-768x512.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/08/imago1048788593h-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/08/imago1048788593h-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Hansi Flick had seen Thiago’s impact as invaluable at the start of his tenure with Barcelona</figcaption></figure>



Arnau Blanco, the coach of the team’s U16A team, was officially <a href="https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/4083139/arnau-blanco-replaces-thiago-alcantara" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">appointed to take over Thiago’s role</a>.



Thiago’s departure from Barcelona was bittersweet, as he had left a strong impression on the staff and players during his short tenure.



His work as a liaison and translator for Flick had been invaluable. Thus, his departure left a void that the Blaurgana had to fill quickly. 



Despite this setback, the ex-midfielder’s brief return to Catalonia marked an important step in his transition from player to coach; hinting at a potential future in football management.



<h2>What’s next for Thiago?</h2>



With his return to Liverpool, Thiago will now have to spend the remainder of the year in the UK. However, there is a possibility of resuming his role at Barcelona in January, according to <a href="https://www.marca.com/futbol/barcelona/2024/08/16/66bf2aefca4741b7538b4595.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marca</a>. 



During this period, he may consider taking coaching courses to further his ambitions of becoming a manager. Working with Flick and other legendary managers like Klopp, Guardiola, and Ancelotti has prepared him well for a coaching career.



As Thiago settles back into life in Liverpool, many wonder whether he will return to Anfield.



The idea of him attending Liverpool’s home matches could be an exciting prospect for fans.



However, whether he chooses to work with the club behind the scenes remains to be seen. After a summer of significant change at Liverpool, the 33-year-old might prefer to step back and allow the new coaching staff to establish themselves without interference.



Photo credits: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire : IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire.

Thiago Alcantara quits Barcelona after month, reason revealed

Thiago Alcantara has elected to leave a coaching position he took with Barcelona at the beginning of the summer

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Not just Cristiano Ronaldo and Estevao Willian: What happened to the Premier League players with Ballon d’Or contract clauses?

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Thiago Alcantara quits Barcelona after month, reason revealed