The Ballon d'Or explained: how football's biggest individual prize works

The Ballon d'Or is the most coveted individual honour in football — the award that crowns the best player on the planet for a season. Here's how it works.

What it is

The Ballon d'Or (French for "Golden Ball") has been awarded by the magazine France Football since 1956. Originally it recognised the best European player; over the decades the eligibility widened until, today, any player at any club worldwide can win it.

Who votes

The winner is chosen by a panel of specialist football journalists — one representing each of a set of ranked countries. Each voter selects their top players in order, and points are assigned to those rankings. The player with the most points wins. Because journalists decide, the award reflects a broad consensus rather than one body's opinion.

The criteria

Voters are asked to weigh three things:

1. Individual performances and decisive impact over the season.

2. Team achievements — major trophies won.

3. Class and fair play — the player's overall standing in the game.

That mix is why a brilliant individual season can still lose out to a player who also won the biggest trophies — and why the debate is never settled.

Beyond the main award

The ceremony now hands out several trophies on the same night, including:

• The women's Ballon d'Or (since 2018)
• The Kopa Trophy for the best young player (under 21)
• The Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper

Why it matters

A Ballon d'Or defines a career. For two decades the award was dominated by an era of generational greats, which only sharpened its prestige. Win it, and you are officially, for that year, the best in the world — and the arguments about whether you deserved it are part of the fun.

Track the players and teams in contention across our competitions and rankings.