Golden Ball Exhibition in Odessa: A Celebration of Football
On June 7, 2025, in Odessa near the «Chornomorets» stadium, an extraordinary exhibition was launched: three «Golden Balls» belonging to legendary Ukrainian footballers Oleg Blokhin, Igor Belanov, and Andriy Shevchenko. The installation will also be available on June 8.
This event is a gift to the people of Ukraine from ROZETKA, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Besides Odessa, the «Golden Balls» will tour nine other Ukrainian cities, including Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Rivne, and Lutsk.
Residents of Odessa will have the opportunity to visit this unique installation tomorrow, June 8, from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM at the western entrance of the «Chornomorets» stadium.
In the event of an air raid alert, the exhibition will pause, and visitors must proceed to shelter.
«Together with ROZETKA, we launched a project that has brought all three Ukrainian «Golden Balls» together for the first time. Our main goal is to inspire young Ukrainians to pursue football and to show that nothing is impossible if you are truly passionate about your work. That’s why our tour slogan is «The Next Golden Ball is Yours», – stated Andriy Shevchenko, president of the Ukrainian Football Association.
«It will soon be 50 years since I received the first «Golden Ball» for Ukraine. Football is a game where character and perseverance are crucial, along with the spirit that Ukrainians show daily. I believe that among our children, there is someone who will bring the fourth «Golden Ball» to Ukraine,” shared footballer Oleg Blokhin.
«With my «Golden Ball», I traveled across Europe, Asia, and, of course, Ukraine – from major cities to the most remote corners, even to the front lines. Everywhere, fans and young footballers were excited to see this trophy. I am glad that all three «Golden Balls» are together today to support Ukrainians. I believe there are many talented children among our youth, and the next «Golden Ball» for Ukraine is just a matter of time,” said footballer Igor Belanov.
«Golden Ball» is a football award established by the French magazine France Football in 1956. It is awarded annually to the best player in the world (until 2007, it was awarded to the best player in Europe). Three Ukrainian footballers have won this trophy: Oleg Blokhin in 1975, Igor Belanov in 1986, and Andriy Shevchenko in 2004.
