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How is the winner of the Ballon d’Or chosen?

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The Ballon d’Or is awarded annually based on three criteria: a player’s individual performance, contribution to the team’s accomplishments, and sportsmanship and fair play. The French sports publications France Football and L’Équipe produce a 30-player short list of candidates. A specialized panel, comprising one journalist from each of the countries ranked in the top 100 by FIFA (for the Ballon d’Or FĂ©minin, only one journalist from each country ranked in the top 50), then votes to determine the winner. Each voter ranks their top 10 players, and points are awarded based on their ranking. The player with the most points wins.