A thorny issue!

The seventieth edition of the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony, held in London yesterday, Monday, saw journalist Christophe Gleizes honoured in a special gesture.

Presenter Kate Scott and former France star Thierry Henry offered their support for the French sports journalist, detained in Algeria since June 2025, before the names of the best male and female players of the year were announced in front of millions of viewers around the world.

The symbolic moment turned one of football's most-watched events into a platform to demand Gleizes' release and defend press freedom, according to the official website of Reporters Without Borders.

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Who is Christophe Galtier?

Christophe Gleizes is an independent French sports journalist who has worked with the magazine "So Foot" and the media group "So Press", which also includes the magazine "Society". His work focuses on sports journalism, covering clubs and football in France and abroad.

Gleizes travelled to Algeria in May 2024 to prepare a report on the storied club JS Kabylie, in the city of Tizi Ouzou. Police arrested him on 28 May during his stay, then placed him under judicial supervision for around a year, according to the chronology reported by media outlets and the organisation Reporters Without Borders.

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How did Christophe Gleize's case begin in Algeria?

The case went beyond the bounds of sports coverage after accusations were levelled against Ghilas relating to "supporting terrorism" and possessing publications for the purpose of propaganda harmful to the national interest, according to reports on the case.

A court sentenced him to seven years in prison on 29 June 2025, then upheld the verdict on appeal in December of the same year.

Published reports link the case to interviews Ghilas conducted with figures tied to the self-determination movement for the Kabylie region, a movement Algerian authorities have classified as a terrorist organisation since 2021.

Reporters Without Borders came to the journalist's defence, arguing the case stemmed from his professional work, and called for his release.

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FIFA and Zidane's support

Calls for Gleizes's release stretched well beyond media organisations. Prominent sporting figures joined in, among them FIFA president Gianni Infantino and France coach Zinedine Zidane, who is of Algerian descent, alongside efforts involving football and press bodies.

FIFA also handed the journalist symbolic accreditation to cover the 2026 World Cup, a move designed to keep his case in the public eye.

In May 2026, Gleizes decided to withdraw his appeal before the Court of Cassation, according to French media including the newspaper Le Monde, citing his family and his lawyer, in a bid to open the way to a possible presidential pardon.

His lawyers later explained that the course of the proceedings had tied the future of his case to the powers of the Algerian president. It did not win his freedom. His family confirmed in a media interview on 15 October that he remained detained in Algeria.

That message of solidarity at the Ballon d'Or ceremony marked a new stage in the campaign to raise awareness of Gleizes's case.