France Football’s editor-in-chief, Vincent Garcia, gave a statement that has generated plenty of anticipation across the soccer world. “I am the only person who knows the winner of the Ballon d’Or. The criteria for winning this award are: individual performance, decisive and impressive moments, titles won, as well as fair play and behavior on and off the pitch,” Garcia said in an interview with Telefoot.

Garcia emphasized that the award is not strictly about statistics, but also considers a player’s impact in crucial moments and the overall image they project as professionals.

Adding to the intrigue of this year’s edition, Garcia reminded fans that since last year, a key change was introduced to the protocol: the winner is no longer notified ahead of time. In previous years, players would find out days in advance, which often led to inevitable leaks.

How the voting process works

In total, 100 journalists from the 100 highest-ranked nations according to FIFA are tasked with voting for the winner, as well as selecting the Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper). This differs from the Kopa Trophy (best young player), which is voted on exclusively by living Ballon d’Or winners.

The selection process begins with journalists from L’Équipe and France Football choosing 30 nominees they believe deserve the award. For the women’s Ballon d’Or, 20 players are nominated, while the Yashin and Kopa Trophies each feature 10 candidates.

One of the most significant changes since the 2022 edition involves the time frame for consideration. Until 2021, the award was based on performances over a calendar year. Starting in 2022, after multiple calls for reform, it now covers the season running from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.

The main contenders

This year’s Ballon d’Or is expected to come down to three players, and it has been a long time since fans have seen a race this close. Barcelona is represented by two stars, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, who had outstanding seasons despite missing out on a Champions League title. On the other side, Ousmane Dembele led the PSG widely regarded as the best in Europe this past season. Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe could also be a surprise contender if voters are swayed by his individual brilliance.

The nominees will be revealed on September 4, with managers getting their chance to contend for a prize as the Women’s Coach of the Year Trophy and Men’s Coach of the Year Trophy will be introduced.

These categories will extend the list of awards at the Ballon d’Or to 10, joining the eight previous trophies already present in past editions. These are all the 10 awards to be delivered at the 2024 Ballon d’Or:

• Men’s Ballon d’Or
• Women’s Ballon d’Or
• Men’s Club of the Year
• Women’s Club of the Year
• Kopa Trophy
• Gerd Müller Trophy
• Yachine Trophy
• Socrates Award
• Women’s Coach of the Year
• Men’s Coach of the Year

Carlo Ancelotti might be in pole position for the first-ever Men’s Coach of the Year award at the Ballon d’Or after leading Real Madrid to their 15th UEFA Champions League title, while Barcelona Femeni boss Jonatan Giraldez may be the frontrunner for the Women’s Coach of the Year prize as his side won all four titles at stake in 2023-24.

Who are the candidates for the Men’s Ballon d’Or in 2024?

With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo no longer in Europe, 2024 is expected to mark a new era of Ballon d’Or winners. The Argentine extended his record to eight triumphs in 2023 thanks to his World Cup performance, but seems to run from behind in this year’s edition.

Real Madrid may have two of the strongest contenders in Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, with the pair playing a pivotal role for Los Blancos in their LaLiga and UEFA Champions League titles.

But other names that could also be in the conversation are Kylian Mbappe — who is leaving PSG for Real Madrid, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland or his teammate Phil Foden.

Men’s Ballon d’Or winners by year

• 1956: Stanley Matthews (Blackpool)
• 1957: Alfredo Di Stefano (Real Madrid)
• 1958: Raymond Kopa (Real Madrid)
• 1959: Alfredo Di Stefano (Real Madrid)
• 1960: Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
• 1961: Omar Sivori (Juventus)
• 1962: Josef Masopust (Dukla Prague)
• 1963: Lev Yashin (Dynamo Moscow)
• 1964: Denis Law (Manchester United)
• 1965: Eusebio (Benfica)
• 1966: Bobby Charlton (Manchester United)
• 1967: Florian Albert (Ferencvaros)
• 1968: George Best (Manchester United)
• 1969: Gianni Rivera (AC Milan)
• 1970: Gerd Muller (Bayern Munich)
• 1971: Johan Cruyff (Ajax)
• 1972: Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich)
• 1973: Johan Cruyff (Barcelona)
• 1974: Johan Cruyff (Barcelona)
• 1975: Oleg Blokhin (Dynamo Kyiv)
• 1976: Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich)
• 1977: Allan Simonsen (Borussia Monchengladbach)
• 1978: Kevin Keegan (Hamburg)
• 1979: Kevin Keegan (Hamburg)
• 1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern Munich)
• 1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern Munich)
• 1982: Paolo Rossi (Juventus)
• 1983: Michel Platini (Juventus)
• 1984: Michel Platini (Juventus)
• 1985: Michel Platini (Juventus)
• 1986: Igor Belanov (Dynamo Kyiv)
• 1987: Ruud Gullit (AC Milan)
• 1988: Marco van Basten (AC Milan)
• 1989: Marco van Basten (AC Milan)
• 1990: Lothar Matthaus (Internazionale)
• 1991: Jean-Pierre Papin (Marseille)
• 1992: Marco van Basten (AC Milan)
• 1993: Roberto Baggio (Juventus)
• 1994: Hristo Stoichkov (Barcelona)
• 1995: George Weah (AC Milan)
• 1996: Matthias Sammer (Borussia Dortmund)
• 1997: Ronaldo (Internazionale)
• 1998: Zinedine Zidane (Juventus)
• 1999: Rivaldo (Barcelona)
• 2000: Luis Figo (Real Madrid)
• 2001: Michael Owen (Liverpool)
• 2002: Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
• 2003: Pavel Nedved (Juventus)
• 2004: Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan)
• 2005: Ronaldinho (Barcelona)
• 2006: Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid)
• 2007: Kaka (Milan)
• 2008: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
• 2009: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
• 2010: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
• 2011: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
• 2012: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
• 2013: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
• 2014: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
• 2015: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
• 2016: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
• 2017: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
• 2018: Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
• 2019: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
• 2020: Canceled due to Covid-19
• 2021: Lionel Messi (PSG)
• 2022: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
• 2023: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)

Women’s Ballon d’Or winners by year

• 2018: Ada Hegerberg (Lyon)
• 2019: Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign)
• 2020: Canceled due to Covid-19
• 2021: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
• 2022: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
• 2023: Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)

The Portuguese superstar made the cut last year, when he was still playing for Manchester United. Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr in January paved the way for other stars to join the Saudi Pro League, but it cost him much of world soccer’s attention.

Neymar followed in the veteran striker’s footsteps by moving to the Gulf State, leaving Paris Saint-Germain for Al-Hilal this summer. For the second straight year, the Brazilian was snubbed.

Messi, Haaland headline 2023 Ballon d’Or nominees

Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland headline the list of nominees. The Argentine star is favorite to win the prize after leading Argentina to victory at the 2022 World Cup, but the Norwegian star has also made a strong case after helping Manchester City win the treble in his first year in England.

1. Josko Gvardiol (Leipzig / Manchester City)
2. Andre Onana (Inter Milan / Manchester United)
3. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid / Al-Ittihad)
4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
5. Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
6. Randal Kolo Muani (Frankfurt / PSG)
7. Jude Bellingham (Dortmund / Real Madrid)
8. Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
9. Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
10. Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan)
11. Yassine Bounou (Sevilla / Al-Hilal)
12. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
13. Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
14. Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
15. Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
16. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
17. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
18. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
19. Kim Min-Jae (Napoli / Bayern Munich)
20. Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
21. Julian Alvarez (Manchester City)
22. Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
23. Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City / Barcelona)
24. Rodri (Manchester City)
25. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
26. Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
27. Harry Kane (Tottenham / Bayern Munich)
28. Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
29. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
30. Lionel Messi (PSG / Inter Miami)

How many times has Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or?

Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or on seven occasions, more times than any other player (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021).

Who was the last Ballon d’Or winner?

Karim Benzema won the 2022 Ballon d’Or.

From the 2021-22 season, the prize changed its criteria to start rewarding a player’s performance throughout the typical club season rather than in the calendar year.

That’s why we’ve seen Robert Lewandowski get so upset about being snubbed for Lionel Messi in the past, for instance. Apart from winning club trophies, players want to be recognized as the world’s best.

The Best and the Ballon d’Orhave a similargoal, which is to distinguish who’s the greatest soccer player on Earth. But of course, there’s a reason why these awards are actually different.

The difference between The Best and the Ballon d’Or

First of all, the maindifference is that The Best is presented by FIFA, while France Football is in control of the Ballon d’Or. Besides,the governing body rewards the best player of the calendar year, whereas from 2021-22,the French news magazine considers theclub season.

They also have a different votingsystem. The Best has two phases: first, a panel of experts chooses the 10 nominees per award. In the second phase, journalists, fans, national team managers and captains all have a 25% of weight on the final results. On the other hand, the magazine makes the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or. Later, a journalist from each country ranks five players.

The merger between FIFA and the Ballon d’Or

The Ballon d’Or has been the most prestigious individual award in soccer since its foundation in 1956. After a long time, the governing body decided to have its own award and therefore created the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1991. In 2010, however, FIFA and France Football teamed up to merge the two prizes, creating the FIFA Ballon d’Or. The partnership lasted six years, which is why FIFA created The Best in 2016 to once again have its own award.

The 2022 Ballon d’Or will crown a new monarch. After Lionel Messi won the award last year, there seems to be a clear front-runner to reclaim the trophy at home. Since 1998 with Zinedine Zidane, a French player has never won the Golden Ball, but, most certainly, that’s about to change. Karim Benzema had a spectacular season as Real Madrid’s leader to win the 2021-2022 Champions League and the 2021-2022 La Liga. Only a tremendous surprise could take away the prize from his hands.

Although Karim Benzema is the favorite, there are other names in the radar such as Thibaut Courtois, Kevin de Bruyne, Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jrand Sadio Mané. For the first time in almost a decade, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are out of the race.

How and where to watch or live stream the 2022 Ballon d’Or ceremony?

The broadcast of the2022 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be available for the US on Paramount+ (7-day free trial). Another option in the United States and every other country in the world is the YouTube channel and official website of prestigious L’Equipe.

In the 2022 Ballon d’Or ceremony, Karim Benzema might get his first trophy ever and, as a consequence, a possible huge paycheck. Right now, Real Madrid’s superstar earns in his contract $691kper month, $173kper week, $25kper day and $1041per hour. Just imagine what would happen if he notches the Best Player in the World award.

Considering this scenario, a great trophy must come with a great prize money or so they say. In this article you will find the answer to one of the biggest questions around the ceremony. How much money is there for the winner of the Ballon d’Or? Let’s checkout the details.

How much is a player paid for winning the Ballon d’Or?

The first thing you need to know is that there is no official information regarding a possible money prize for winning the Ballon d’Or. In the last years, there’s been some rumours inside the organization, but, France Football has never released a statement (neither FIFA when they were in charge too).

So, let’s get into the possible numbers. While you might think the Ballon d’Or trophy comes with a lot of cash, that’s certainly not the case. Although some people have said during the years that there’s a $20k paycheck, that’s totally false. The tradition states that the huge prestige of the award is more than enough for the winner.

Still, while there is no paycheck, we have to consider the sponsorships. That’s the big deal with the Ballon d’Or!!! Many soccer insiders have reported that, for example, Luka Modric took home $800k from Nike after winning the trophy in 2018. Also, Cristiano Ronaldo might have gotten $4 million as a bonus as part of his 2016-2026 deal with the brand after each time he was crowned as The Best Player in the World. It was a special clause in his full $162 million contract with Nike. So, if your name is Karim Benzema, you might actually get pretty excited of what could be coming into your bank account.

Finally, on 2007, the Ballon d’Or was open to each and every player in the world regardless of the club or league. The voting system has also changed throughout the decades. During the first 50 years journalists elected the winner, but nowadays captains and managers of National Teams are also involved in the process.

Considering its importance, the Ballon d’Or has a spectacular trophy. It might be said that the greatest soccer prize in the world has the best trophy to show for. That’s why in this article you will find more details about this ‘historic jewel’ such as weight, size, material and value.

How much is the weight of Ballon d’Or trophy?

The famous Ballon d’Or trophy weighs around 15kg. It’s kind of a heavy award considering the winner has to give a speech carrying the equivalent to almost fourgallons of water. If you lookcarefully during the ceremony, the first thing the winner does is put the trophy on the pedestal in order to start speaking. That trophy weighs a lot!!!

What is the size of Ballon d’Or trophy?

The Ballon d’Or is not a small trophy whatsoever. The spectacular piece is 31 cm tall and has a 23 cm diameter.The shape of the ball surges as a result of pressing two brass plates, hitting them with a hammer and then comes the blowtorch. The fantastic design is madeby famous French jewellery house‘Mellerio dits Meller’. Thatcompany, one of the oldest in Europe, was founded in 1613.

Ballon d’Or trophy: which material it is made of?

The process to design the Ballon d’Or starts six months before the actual delivery to France Football and the ‘building’ of it takes at least a 100 hours of work and five craftsmen. According to ‘Mellerio dits Meller’, the Golden Ball is filled with tar and also with materials similar to wax. The trophy is covered with fine melted 18-carat gold and the last stage of the process is drawing the lines and seams of the ball. Of course, the name of the winner and the logo of the Ballon d’Or areengraved on the trophy.

How much is the Ballon d’Or trophy worth?

Although the object itself has a worth of approximately $3k, the real value of theBallon d’Or trophymight be around$300k and $500k. For example, the FIFA World Cup trophy has a estimated value of $20 millionand the NFL’s Vince Lombarditrophy for the Super Bowl winner is at $50k.

For weeks, fans have tried to predict who the winner would be as a number of leaks spread on the Internet, while other reports had already anticipated the PSG star would receive the prize. And of course, the results didn’t sit well with everyone.

Especially with Robert Lewandowski, who has admitted to feel upset and had seemingly taken a subtle shot at Messi, something he eventually clarified shortly after. France Football editor Pascal Ferre has also been in the spotlight for the last few weeks, so his votes have obviously made some noise.

Ballon d’Or: France Football editor Pascal Ferre voted Lewandowski ahead of Messi

As the editor-in-chief of the prestigious magazine that givesthe coveted award, Pascal Ferre has obviously had to deal with a lot recently. He spoke up when leaks began to go viral on social media before Cristiano Ronaldo took a jab at him.

However, as part of the jury, Ferre has voted his five favorite options and the Bayern Munich striker headlined his list. Below him, we can find the Argentine forward, Karim Benzema, Jorginho, and Kylian Mbappe.

Just like the Portuguese jury, he didn’t include Ronaldoin his top five. Instead, he picked the two heavy candidates for the award, with the Poland international above the former Barcelona winger. A debate that is still alive in world soccer.

Followed by them, he chose three players who had a great year. The Real Madrid star carried the team practically by himself this year, earning a long-awaited return to the France national team.

The Italian midfielder played a key role in Chelsea‘sUEFA Champions League success before he lifted his national team to their firstEuropean Championshipsince 1968. Mbappe, on the other hand, had a great performance for Paris Saint-Germain in their last UCL journey but he was in the eye of the storm for missing a crucial penalty for France vs Switzerland in the Euros.

France Football editor Pascal Ferre claimed before the eagerly awaited ceremony that Cristiano Ronaldo had only one ambition before retiringthat was receiving more Ballon d’Ors than Messi. He even said that he knew it because Ronaldo told him.

Just a few hours before the 2021 Ballon d’Or results, Cristiano set the record straight through a lengthy post on Instagram, where he blasted Ferre for “lying”. Take a look at the Portuguese superstar’s statement.

Ronaldo blasts France Football editor for “lying” about Ballon d’Orambitions, competition withMessi

Widely regarded as thetwo most dominating players in recent history, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi have often battled for the Ballon d’Or over the last few years. The fact that they also competed against each other playing for lifelong rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively, helped world soccer to fuel a rivalrythe players never actually had.

However, Ferre’s comments on Ronaldo wanting to finish his career with more awards than Messi seemed to revive that antagonism. That’s why Cristiano took to social media to make things clear, and on the way he suggested Ferre lied:

“Today’s outcome explains why Pascal Ferré’s statements last week, when he said that I confided in him that my only ambition was to finish my career with more Golden Balls than Lionel Messi.Pascal Ferrelied, he used my name to promote himself and to promote the publication he works for.

“It is unacceptable that the person responsible for awarding such a prestigious prize could lie in this way, in absolute disrespect for someone who has always respected France Football and the Ballon d’Or. And he lied again today when justifying my absence from the Gala with an alleged quarantine that has no reason to exist.

“I always want to congratulate those who win, within the sportsmanship and fair-play that have guided my career since the beginning, and I do it because I’m never against anyone. I always win for myself and for the clubs I represent, I win for myself and for those who love me. I don’t win against anyone.

“The biggest ambition of my career is to win national and international titles for the clubs I represent and for the national team in my country. The biggest ambition of my career is to be a good example for all those who are or want to be professional footballers. The biggest ambition of my career is to leave my name written in golden letters in the history of world football.

“I will end by saying that my focus is already on Manchester United’s next game and on everything that, together with my team-mates and our fans, we can still achieve this season. The rest? The rest is just the rest…“

Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or five times. However, he has other ambitions than just winning the individual award. Now that he’s back at Manchester United, Ronaldo wants to get back to glory days, especially in the Champions League.

Not long ago, social media went wild as soon as leaks spread all over the Internet. First, it was understood that Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski gathered the most votes to claim the award for the first time.

But shortly after that, it was Argentine superstar Lionel Messi who appeared atop the list, with Portuguese outlet RTP even claiming that the PSG forward was told he’d win his seventh Ballon d’Or. So, after all the rumors, an important person from France Football spoke his truth.

France Football editor claims Messi, Lewandowski leaks are false

There’s still more than two weeks to go before the French magazine reveals who’s the winner of the coveted prize. But that hasn’t prevented people from trying to predict the final results.

The soccer world may not know exactly who the winner will be but the leaks indicate thatthe conversation will reduce to Messi and Lewandowski. Still, France Football editor-in-chief Pascal Ferre told Germany newspaper Sport Bild that all those leaks were complete nonsense. “That’s a lot of ********we’ve seen in the last ten days. A big bluff,” said Ferre, as quoted by SB Nation‘s Bavarian Football Works.

The first leak had Lewandowski as winner with627 votes, but a few days later another list had Messi atop with645 votes. Many people believe the Pole striker made a strong case to win the Ballon d’Or, especially as he didn’t get the chance to win it in 2020, when the award wasn’t given due to the pandemic.

But Messi is always an obvious candidate and his performances in 2021 could be worthy of the prize, despite Barcelona didn’t help him to show the best version of himself. And he may have had a slow start in Paris Saint-Germain, but his level with Argentina hasbeen outstanding, winning his first international title in the 2021 Copa America. Either way, we’ll know the truth on November 29.