Paul Pogba is one of soccer's most promising young players and would like to one day win the Ballon D'Or.

"His objective is the Ballon D'Or," Pogba's personal trainer, Didier Reiss, said recently. "He will leave no stone unturned to get there."

The quest for individual achievement has been greater than ever with Luis Enrique motivating Lionel Messi last season by mentioning not allowing Cristiano Ronaldo win the Ballon D'Or again.

One industry figure privately told ESPN FC that, when exploring "developing markets" for the game, he found that many people supported players rather than teams.

Player contracts often have Ballon D'Or incentives written into them.

Neymar's Barcelona contract, for example, stipulates that the club will have to pay the Brazilian an extra €425,000 if he ever finishes first in the ballot.

Ultimately, team success continues to be a big factor in who wins the Ballon D'Or. Ronaldo won it in 2014 after Real Madrid won the Champions League, while Messi won this year following Barcelona's win in the tournament.