The evening was supposed to celebrate the finest footballers on the planet. It also served as a reminder of the fate of those who chronicle their achievements. On Monday, October 26, in London, the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony set aside a moment for Christophe Gleizes, a French journalist and contributor to So Foot who has been detained in Algeria for one year, three months and 27 days.
The tribute was delivered by the ceremony’s hosts, Thierry Henry and Kate Scott, before an audience of players, coaches and leading figures from international football.
It lasted only a few moments amid an evening of sporting glamour, but its significance was considerable. On a stage normally devoted to spectacular goals and the season’s greatest achievements, the plight of an imprisoned journalist took centre stage.
A football assignment that led to his arrest
Christophe Gleizes travelled to Kabylie in May 2024 to report on Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie (JSK), one of Algeria’s most storied football clubs.
Arrested during his stay, he was sentenced in June 2025 to seven years in prison for “glorifying terrorism,” over alleged contacts with individuals linked to the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), which the Algerian authorities designate as a terrorist organization. His sentence was subsequently upheld on appeal in December 2025.
Since then, his family, fellow journalists and several press freedom organizations have repeatedly called for his release.
His imprisonment also prompted a campaign during the 2026 World Cup. At the initiative of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), FIFA granted him accreditation to cover the tournament, even though he remained behind bars.
On June 10, in Mexico City, Gianni Infantino publicly drew attention to his absence, pointing to an empty chair at his press conference.
“There is an empty chair. It belongs to the French journalist Christophe Gleizes,” the FIFA president said, expressing hope that he would receive a presidential pardon.
Zinedine Zidane also voiced his support for the journalist, expressing hope that he would soon regain his freedom.
Monday evening’s tribute extended that campaign onto a stage of far greater symbolic significance. The Ballon d’Or is football’s biggest annual celebration, when the spotlight falls on the most admired players in the world. This time, it also illuminated the face of a journalist whose loved ones are still waiting for his release.
Before football’s biggest stars and millions of television viewers, Gleizes’s name resonated far beyond the walls of his prison. For the Algerian authorities, the affair had now reached one of the most prominent stages in world sport.
For Algeria’s military junta, which continues to keep a sports journalist behind bars, it is difficult to imagine worse publicity. On Monday night, football’s grand celebration became, for the duration of a tribute, a moment of worldwide humiliation for Algiers.
