While the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League are the most prestigious team titles in soccer, the Ballon dâOr and The Best are the most significantaccolades for individual performances.
Thatâs why weâve 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 worldâs best.
The Best and the Ballon dâOrhave a similargoal, which is to distinguish whoâs the greatest soccer player on Earth. But of course, thereâs a reason why these awards are actually different.
The difference between The Best and the Ballon dâOr
First of all, the maindifference is that The Best is presented by FIFA, while France Football is in control of the Ballon dâOr. Besides,the governing body rewards the best player of the calendar year, whereas from 2021-22,the French news magazine considers theclub season.
Karim Benzema won France Footballâs Ballon dâOr award in the 2021-22 season. (Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)
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 dâOr. Later, a journalist from each country ranks five players.
The merger between FIFA and the Ballon dâOr
The Ballon dâOr 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 dâOr. The partnership lasted six years, which is why FIFA created The Best in 2016 to once again have its own award.
