What Is the Ballon d'Or and How Is the Winner Chosen?
What is the Ballon d'Or? The story of football's most famous individual award since 1956, how journalists vote for the winner, and who has won it most.
Every autumn, football fans around the world wait for one name: the winner of the Ballon d’Or. But what exactly is the Ballon d’Or, who decides it, and why is it the individual prize every player dreams of? Here is the full story in plain language.
What is the Ballon d’Or?
The Ballon d’Or (French for “Golden Ball”) is an annual award for the best football player in the world over the past season. The French magazine France Football created it in 1956, and the first winner was England’s Stanley Matthews.
At first, only European players were eligible. In 1995 the award opened to players of any nationality at European clubs, and Liberia’s George Weah became the first non-European winner that same year. From 2007 onwards, players from anywhere in the world could win it.
Between 2010 and 2015 it merged with FIFA’s player of the year award as the “FIFA Ballon d’Or”, before becoming a standalone prize again. It was not awarded in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How is the Ballon d’Or winner chosen?
Neither fans nor players pick the winner. Sports journalists do, in three stages:
- Shortlist: a panel of football experts and journalists names 30 nominees.
- Voting: one journalist from each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA men’s ranking casts a ballot (the women’s award uses the top 50 nations in the women’s ranking).
- Scoring: each voter ranks their top 10. First place earns 15 points, second 12, third 10, and so on down to 1 point for tenth. The player with the most points wins.
What criteria do voters use?
| Criterion | What it means |
|---|---|
| Individual performance | Goals, assists and decisive impact in big games |
| Team success | Trophies won with club and country |
| Sporting conduct | Fair play and sportsmanship |
Since 2022 the award has covered the football season (August to July) rather than the calendar year, so summer tournaments such as the World Cup count towards the same season.
The other awards on the night
The ceremony now hands out several prizes, including:
- Women’s Ballon d’Or: launched in 2018; Norway’s Ada Hegerberg was the first winner.
- Kopa Trophy: for the best young player under 21.
- Yashin Trophy: for the best goalkeeper, named after the legendary Soviet keeper Lev Yashin.
- Gerd Müller Trophy: for the season’s top goalscorer.
Did you know? The only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d’Or is Lev Yashin, in 1963. That is why the goalkeeper award carries his name.
Who has won the Ballon d’Or the most?
Argentina’s Lionel Messi leads the all-time list by a wide margin:
| Player | Wins |
|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | 8 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 5 |
| Michel Platini | 3 |
| Johan Cruyff | 3 |
| Marco van Basten | 3 |
Alfredo Di Stéfano, Franz Beckenbauer, Kevin Keegan, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Brazil’s Ronaldo have each won it twice.
Ballon d’Or 2026: the 70th edition
The 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony took place in London on 26 October 2026, the first time it was held in England, in tribute to the first winner, Stanley Matthews. England and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane won, ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, becoming the first Englishman to win since Michael Owen in 2001. The women’s award went to Spain’s Alexia Putellas, her third after 2021 and 2022.
If you enjoy football’s great stories, read our guide to the history of El Clásico or learn how the offside rule works.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Ballon d’Or trophy made of solid gold?
No. It is a gold-plated football sculpture rather than solid gold. Its prestige is worth far more than its material value.
Does the Ballon d’Or come with prize money?
There is no official cash prize. Winning it, however, boosts a player’s status and commercial value, and many contracts include bonuses for winning it.
What is the difference between the Ballon d’Or and FIFA’s The Best award?
The Ballon d’Or is run by France Football and voted on by journalists. The Best FIFA Football Awards are run by FIFA, with votes from national team coaches and captains, journalists and fans.
Has an Arab player ever won the Ballon d’Or?
Not yet, although several Arab stars have appeared on the nominee list in recent years.
Key takeaway
The Ballon d’Or is football’s most prestigious individual award. Created by France Football in 1956, it is decided by journalists from 100 countries using a clear points system that puts individual performance first and team success second. Messi holds the record with eight wins, and Harry Kane lifted the trophy at its 70th edition in 2026.
