Despite a rare midweek treat of blistering Premier League action, it was events away from the pitch that got players truly excited this week.
The week began with the FIFA Ballon d'Or ceremony, which saw Lionel Messi recognised as the best player on the planet for a fifth time. Typically, some of the biggest names in football lined up for selfies with the man of the hour.
It was also a week in which the NBA descended on London, cue plenty of Arsenal and Chelsea players becoming overnight ballers. Here's the 25 best football pictures from Instagram this week.