- The Ballon d'Or prizes for soccer's top players were delivered in bizarre fashion Monday night.
- Two black-helmeted men appeared in the auditorium in Paris, carrying the trophies to the stage.
- The pair were then revealed to be F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon of the Alpine team.
The awards given to the world's best male and female soccer players were delivered to the stage in a bizarre fashion Monday night.
The Ballon d'Or is the most glamorous night in the soccer calendar. The game's greatest headed to Paris to see who would be crowned the best male and female soccer players on the planet in a lavish ceremony.
The winners of the award are presented with the eponymous Ballon d'Or, a golden soccer ball on a plinth. This year, two unusual guests were the ones to carry the trophies onto the stage.
As the evening headed towards the headline awards, two men appeared in the wings. Dressed in navy blue suits, the pair also wore gold and black helmets.
The helmets, which would not have looked out of place on stage at a Daft Punk concert, concealed the identity of the two figures as they passed through soccer's finest to reach the stage.
Greeted by hosts Didier Drogba and Sandy Heribert, the pair were encouraged to remove their helmets.
As they did so they revealed themselves to be Formula One drivers Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon, both of whom race for the Alpine F1 team, which is owned by French car giant Renault and used to promote Renault's consumer sports car brand, Alpine.
You can watch the reveal below:
—Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@francefootball) November 29, 2021
The appearance of Alonso and Ocon was linked to Alpine's sponsorship of the Ballon d'Or ceremonies this year, which was announced late last week.
Having been revealed to the world, the drivers were asked what soccer teams they supported. Alonso, who hails from Spain, said he is a Real Madrid fan, while Frenchman Ocon chose PSG.
Later in the night Alpine F1's official Twitter account posted a promotional video showing Alonso and Ocon driving across Paris in the company's new A110 sports car.
—Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) November 29, 2021
Back at the Ballon d'Or ceremony, the top prizes were awarded to Lionel Messi in the men's category, and Barcelona's Alexia Putellas in the women's category.