Some moments in football outlive the result that produced them, etched into the game's memory no matter how many generations pass.
A star stands before the world, having outshone his rivals and written his name into the register of the greats. In his hands sits a golden ball that every player dreams of, the ambition the biggest names have chased since their first days in the game.
For decades the award has been tied to the names who built football's glories. What began as an annual honour became a symbol of individual greatness, a trophy that fuels fresh debate and ferocious competition every year. Winning it now defines a career. Supporters lean on it when they measure their man against the legends of past and present.
Behind the lights, the tailored suits and the camera lenses trained on the handover, though, sits another story that draws far less attention. It started more than seven decades ago, and the award has changed in shape and standing ever since, moving in step with football's own transformations.
So what's the secret of this talisman the world's leading stars fight over? How was it made? What's it actually worth, and what does the player who adds his name to the roll of honour stand to gain? Those questions open the door to the other face of the Ballon d'Or, with another night of reckoning for the throne of the world's best fast approaching.