The Golden Globe Award is the most coveted personal honor in football and is awarded to the world s best players every year

The Golden Globe Award is the most coveted personal honor in the football world and is awarded to the world's best players every year. Although legendary stars like Ronaldo and Messi have won many awards, no Premier League player has won this award since Ronaldo won the cup in 2008 (when playing for Manchester United).

Nevertheless, Premier League players often contain specific terms that stipulate that if the player wins the award, the club or the player himself will receive a financial reward. It is reported that in 2021, five stars had such terms written in their contracts, but in the end they all missed the trophy.

1. When Martial signed Martial from Monaco for up to £58 million in 2015, the contract included a compelling clause: If Martial wins the Golden Ball, Manchester United will pay an additional £7.2 million. This reflected the huge expectations for the young French striker at the time.

However, Martial was never close to competing for the award and was never shortlisted. After a career of ups and downs and unstable condition, he left Manchester United as a free agent in the summer of 2024, leaving 317 appearances and scored 90 goals.

2. Ronaldo

In 2021, Ronaldo returned to Manchester United with the goal of regaining his former glory, including increasing his Golden Globes collection. It was reported at the time that his huge salary of up to £475,000 per week also included bonus terms, one of which was that if he won the Golden Globes, UEFA Player of the Year award, or helped Manchester United win the Champions League, he would receive a prize of £1 million.

But after finishing second in 2018, Ronaldo has not entered the top three of the Golden Globes. His second Manchester United career did not meet expectations and left the team at the end of 2022 after a high-profile run-up with the club management.

3. Salah has been one of the best players in the Premier League since joining Liverpool in 2017, helping the team win the league title and winning the Player of the Season many times. Despite this, his best place at the Golden Globes is still fifth in 2019.

Spanish media Don Balon once reported that Salah's contract had a secret clause that allowed him to request a transfer to Barcelona or Real Madrid without winning the Golden Ball. Although this transfer has never been realized, Salah chose to renew his contract and stay at Anfield in 2025 and signed a new contract until 2027.

4. Thiago

When Thiago transferred to Liverpool from Bayern Munich for £26 million, the contract also included performance-linked terms, which were said to include bonuses related to the Golden Balls. Unfortunately, injuries plagued the elegant midfielder's time in England.

He has only made 98 appearances in four years and has never been nominated for the Golden Globes. After the expiration of his contract with Liverpool in 2024, Thiago decided to withdraw from professional football.

5. Bruno Fernandez has been the center of the Red Devils' midfield since joining Manchester United from Portugal Sports for £47 million in 2020. His contract contains a clause: Every time he enters the top three in the Golden Balls, Manchester United will pay Portugal Sports a 5 million euro bonus.

This clause has not been activated yet, and Fernandez has only been shortlisted for the final shortlist of the Golden Globes (tied to be 21st in 2021). Despite this, his performance has been stable, contributing 19 goals and 19 assists in 57 games in the 2024/25 season.