By Martin Graham
The Ballon d’Or, football’s top individual honor, is awarded annually by France Football magazine. It recognizes the standout male player from the previous season, based on both personal and team success.
The process starts with a shortlist of 30 names, which is compiled by editorial teams from France Football and L’Équipe, sometimes with input from retired professionals. This list reflects achievements across the most recent club campaign.
After that, one journalist from each of the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations receives the shortlist and selects their top ten players in ranked order. Each place on their list corresponds to a certain number of points: 15 for first, 12 for second, followed by 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 for the others.
The player who receives the most total points after all votes are submitted is named the winner. If there is a tie, the number of first-place selections decides the ranking. If still equal, second-place votes are used, continuing down the order if necessary.
Those participating in the vote are encouraged to base their selections on individual performances, contributions to team success, and overall sportsmanship.
When the Ballon d’Or was first awarded in 1956, it was only open to players from Europe. This restriction was lifted in 1995 to include players of any nationality who played for clubs on the continent. A further change in 2007 allowed players worldwide to be eligible.
From 2007 to 2015, national team captains and managers also voted alongside journalists. During that period, FIFA partnered with France Football, and the prize was known as the FIFA Ballon d’Or. That partnership ended in 2016, and the magazine once again took sole control of the award.
Before 2022, votes were cast based on calendar year form, but the criteria shifted to performances across a full season instead. This change aligned the judging period more clearly with club campaigns.
The Ballon d’Or Féminin was created in 2018 to honor the world’s top female footballer. Like the men’s version, it follows a similar voting process but involves only 50 journalists from the highest-ranked football nations. Previous winners include Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas, Ada Hegerberg, and Megan Rapinoe.
Alongside the main award, several others are handed out during the ceremony, which takes place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. These include the Kopa Trophy for the best young player, selected by previous Ballon d’Or winners; the Yashin Trophy for the top goalkeeper; the Club of the Year; and Coach of the Year, all chosen by journalists.
This year’s Ballon d’Or will be revealed on 22 September 2025. Some of the leading candidates based on their club and international form since August 2024 include Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Lautaro Martínez, Pedri, Mohamed Salah, and Gianluigi Donnarumma, among others.
Despite its prestige, the Ballon d’Or has faced criticism. It has often been seen as favoring attacking players, with only a few defenders and a single goalkeeper, Lev Yashin, ever winning it. Critics argue that this neglects other key roles on the pitch.
The award is also seen by some as placing too much weight on winning major trophies such as the Champions League or World Cup. There are those who believe that individual brilliance should be rewarded regardless of whether a player’s team wins titles.
Another point of discussion is the makeup of the voting panel. With only journalists casting ballots, some question whether coaches, players, or former professionals should have more input. Others simply feel that recognizing an individual in a team game undermines the collective nature of football.
