Ballon d'Or: How are the winners decided?
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
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For 2024, the prestigious Ballon d'Or Awards are voted on in eight categories.
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For 2024, the first year the Ballon d'Or® are co-organised by UEFA and Groupe Amaury, owner of France Football, awards are voted on in eight categories, in addition to the Gerd Müller Award for the year's top scorer and the humanitarian Socrates Award.
The reference period for all awards covers the entire season, from August to the following August, including international competitions (EURO, AFCON, Copa América, and the Olympics).
Men's and Women's Ballon d'Or
The Ballon d'Or rewards the best male and female players in the world, without distinction of championship or nationality.
The Ballon d'Or is awarded based on three main criteria:
1) Individual performances, decisive and impressive character
2) Team performances and achievements
3) Class and fair play
The Ballon d'Or is awarded by an international jury of specialised journalists, with one representative per country, from the top 100 in the latest FIFA rankings (before the lists are published) for men and the top 50 for women.
Each juror selects ten players in descending order of merit from a list of 30 established by the editorial staff of France Football, members of the editorial staff of L'Équipe, the best juror from the previous edition – Costa Rica for the men's Ballon d'Or, South Africa for the women's Ballon d'Or – and UEFA ambassadors Luís Figo for the men's trophy and Nadine Kessler for the women's trophy.
The ten selected players are awarded 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point respectively. The Ballon d'Or is awarded to the player with the highest number of points.
In case of a tie, the players are separated by the number of first-place votes. If the tie remains, they are separated by the number of second-place votes, then by the number of third-place votes, and so on. Any dispute arising from the voting is decided by the editor-in-chief of France Football as the organiser.
Kopa Trophy
The Kopa Trophy rewards the best player under the age of 21 as of 31 July 2024, without distinction of championship or nationality.
The Kopa Trophy is awarded based on three main criteria:
1) Individual performances, decisive and impressive character
2) Team performances and achievements
3) Class and fair play
The winner is chosen by a grand jury composed exclusively of Ballon d'Or winners.
Each Ballon d'Or winner selects three players from a list of ten nominees established by the editorial staff of France Football, members of the editorial staff of L'Équipe, the best juror from the previous edition and UEFA ambassador Luís Figo.
The three selected players are awarded 5, 3, and 1 point. The trophy is awarded to the player with the highest number of points.
In case of a tie, the players are separated by the number of first-place votes. If the tie remains, they are separated by the number of second-place votes. Any dispute is decided by the editor-in-chief of France Football as the organiser.
Yashin Trophy
The Yashin Trophy rewards the best goalkeeper, without distinction of championship or nationality.
The trophy is awarded based on three main criteria:
1) Individual performances, decisive and impressive character
2) Team performances and achievements
3) Class and fair play
The Yashin Trophy is awarded by an international jury of specialised journalists, with one representative per country, from the top 100 in the latest FIFA rankings before the lists are published.
Each juror selects three players from a list of ten nominees established by the editorial staff of France Football, members of the editorial staff of L'Équipe, the best juror from the previous edition and UEFA ambassador Luís Figo.
The three selected players are awarded 5, 3, and 1 point. The trophy is awarded to the player with the highest number of points.
In case of a tie, the players are separated by the number of first-place votes. If the tie remains, they are separated by the number of second-place votes. Any dispute arising from the voting is decided by the editor-in-chief of France Football as the organiser.
Coach of the Year trophies
These awards recognise the best coach (club or national team) of a men's team and the best coach (club or national team) of a women's team, without distinction of championship or country.
The trophies are awarded based on several criteria to be considered in their entirety, such as the quality of the team's play, titles won, leadership, tactical skills, the ability to optimise the performance of players, to reveal young talents as well as to exceed reasonable objectives, respect and fair play.
The trophies are awarded by an international jury of specialised journalists, the men's Ballon d'Or jury for the coach of a men's team and the women's Ballon d'Or jury for the coach of a women's team.
Each juror selects two coaches in descending order of merit from a list previously established by the editorial staff of France Football, members of the editorial staff of L'Équipe, the best juror from the previous edition and UEFA ambassadors Luís Figo for the coach of a men's team and Nadine Kessler for the coach of a women's team.
The two selected coaches are awarded 2 and 1 points. The trophy is awarded to the coach with the highest number of points.
In case of a tie, the coaches are separated by the number of first-place votes. Any dispute is decided by the editor-in-chief of France Football as the organiser.
Club of the Year trophies
These trophies reward the best male and female clubs, without distinction of championship.
They are awarded based on several criteria to be considered in their entirety, such as the quality of play, titles won, memorable victories, results exceeding expectations, respect and fair play.
The trophies are awarded by an international jury of specialised journalists, the men's Ballon d'Or jury for the male club and the women's Ballon d'Or jury for the female club.
Each juror selects one club from a list of nominees established by the editorial staff of France Football, members of the editorial staff of L'Équipe, the best juror from the previous edition and UEFA ambassadors Luís Figo for the male club and Nadine Kessler for the female club.
The trophy is awarded to the club most frequently mentioned.
In case of a tie, the clubs are separated by the number of players nominated in the Ballon d'Or lists. Any dispute is decided by the editor-in-chief of France Football as the organiser.
How did the trophies get their names?
The Kopa, Yashin and Gerd Müller trophies are all named after deceased past laureates of the Ballon d'Or.
Introduced in 2018, the Kopa Trophy was named after Raymond Kopa, the first Frenchman to win the Ballon d'Or, in 1958.
The Yashin Trophy for goalkeepers was introduced in 2019 to shed more light on a decisive role that only had one Ballon d'Or laureate since 1956. The trophy was naturally named after Lev Yashin, the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or to date in 1963.
The Gerd Müller Trophy, introduced in 2021 as 'Striker of the Year', was renamed in 2022 in honour of Bayern and West Germany striker Gerd Müller, who won the 1970 Ballon d'Or.
The Socrates Award is not a trophy but an award (not based on sport performance) and was not named after a former Ballon d'Or laureate but after the Brazil and Corinthians captain Socrates, who led the Corinthians revolution in 1983.
Under the agreement, two new awards have been added to the programme; a men's and women's coach of the year, which will recognise the invaluable contribution of coaches to the success on the pitch.
When did UEFA become involved with the Ballon d'Or?
On 3 November 2023 UEFA and Groupe Amaury, owner of media companies France Football and L'Équipe, announced a partnership to co-organise the Ballon d'Or® from 2024. Together UEFA and Groupe Amaury aim to enhance the stature and global reach of the awards while fostering a sense of unity and collaboration within the football community.
As part of the agreement, Groupe Amaury remains the owner of the Ballon d'Or® brand and will continue to oversee the voting system, which will remain unchanged and independent. UEFA contributes its football expertise, markets the global commercial rights and organises the annual awards gala.
Under the agreement, two new awards have been added to the programme; a men's and women's coach of the year, which will recognise the invaluable contribution of coaches to the success on the pitch.