Ballon d’Or

The Ballon d’Or (French: “Golden Ball”) is considered one of the most prestigious individual honors in football (soccer). First presented in 1956, it has since been awarded annually to football players based on their individual brilliance, team success, and fair play. Each year a panel of journalists from around the world votes to choose the winning footballer from a short list. England’s Stanley Matthews won the inaugural Ballon d’Or (then the European Footballer of the Year award) in 1956. Other notable winners include Argentine star Lionel Messi with eight awards and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo with five. The award ceremony is jointly organized and presented by the French magazine France Football, a monthly publication covering football news, and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The Ballon d’Or Féminin for women footballers was introduced in 2018.

2026 Ballon d’Or

The 2026 Ballon d’Or award ceremony, the 70th edition of the prize, took place on October 26 in London. Former French football star Thierry Henry and English journalist Kate Scott served as hosts on the night. The 30-player short lists in both men’s and women’s categories were announced in September. Harry Kane, Rodri, Messi, Lamine Yamal, and Kylian Mbappé were some of the leading contenders to win the men’s award. In the women’s category, Spanish players Alexia Putellas and Cláudia Pina, Poland’s Ewa Pajor, and Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga were among the front-runners. In the end, Kane and Putellas were declared the winners.

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History

Previous Ballon d’Or winners

List of Ballon d’Or winners

Harry Kane

Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo

Ousmane Dembélé

Aitana Bonmatí

Alexia Putellas

Stanley Matthews

Initially limited to European players at European clubs, eligibility expanded in 1995 to include all players across clubs in Europe and in 2007 to players worldwide. Between 2007 and 2015, captains and managers of more than 200 national football teams recognized by FIFA joined journalists in the voting process. From 2010 to 2015 the award was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year and called the FIFA Ballon d’Or. The award reverted to being called the Ballon d’Or in 2016. The Ballon d’Or was not awarded in 2020 because of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022 France Football shifted the award’s assessment period from performances during a calendar year to players’ records during a single full football season (from August to July). Since 2024 UEFA has hosted the annual Ballon d’Or gala, during which the awards are presented, while France Football has retained both the voting system and the award’s name.

The inaugural Ballon d’Or was presented to English forward Stanley Matthews in 1956. The list of winners includes some of the game’s most celebrated figures. Messi and Ronaldo were the only players to win the award from 2008 to 2017. Three-time title winners include Michel Platini of France and Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten, both from the Netherlands. In 1963 Lev Yashin of the Soviet Union became the only goalkeeper ever to win the award.

Award process

The Ballon d’Or is awarded based on three criteria: a player’s individual performance, contribution to the team’s accomplishments, and sportsmanship and fair play. 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 Féminin, only one journalist from each country ranked in the top 50), then votes to determine the winner. Each voter ranks their top 10 players, in order, from the short list. Players are awarded 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point, respectively, depending on their ranking in each list. The total points for each player are tallied, and the one with the highest total wins the award. Ties are resolved by counting the number of first-place votes that the tied candidates received. If there is still a tie, the number of second-place votes will be tallied and so on until the deadlock is broken.

Ballon d’Or Féminin

The Ballon d’Or Féminin for women footballers was introduced in 2018. The winner is chosen by votes cast by a panel of journalists comprising one representative from each of the top 50 countries in the FIFA rankings. Ada Hegerberg, striker for Norway and for women’s professional football club Olympique Lyonnais Féminin (now OL Lyonnes), became the first recipient. U.S. and Reign FC (now Seattle Reign FC) player Megan Rapinoe and Spain and FC Barcelona Féminin players Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí are the other players who have won the award.

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Other awards

Other awards presented at the ceremony are:

• Young Talent of the Year (Kopa Trophy): Awarded to the best men’s and women’s under-21 footballers. It is named for former French footballer Raymond Kopa, the 1958 Ballon d’Or winner.
• Goalkeeper of the Year (Yashin Trophy): Awarded to the world’s best goalkeepers in men’s football (since 2019) and women’s football (since 2025). It is named in honor of Lev Yashin, who won the Ballon d’Or in 1963.
• Coach of the Year (Johan Cruyff Trophy): Awarded to the best head coaches in men’s and women’s football. It is named for legendary former Dutch player and manager Johan Cruyff.
• Striker of the Year (Gerd Müller Trophy): Awarded to the men’s and women’s players who scored the most goals in the designated season. It is named for the famous former German striker Gerd Müller, the winner of the 1970 Ballon d’Or.
• Club of the Year: Awarded to the best clubs in men’s and women’s categories.
• Sócrates Award: Named for former Brazilian footballer Sócrates, it is presented to honor players’ charitable and humanitarian endeavors.