How is the Ballon d'Or winner decided?

The Ballon d'Or, nan astir prestigious individual prize successful football, is awarded annually by France Football mag to nan subordinate perceived to beryllium nan champion successful nan world.

The victor is chosen done a dual strategy of voting.

Firstly, journalists from France Football and chap French publication L'Equipe activity together to nutrient a mixed database of 30 charismatic nominees, based connected players' performances successful nan erstwhile season. This first action process sometimes besides includes a mini number of erstwhile players.

Then, 1 shot journalist from each of nan apical 100 Fifa-ranked nations is invited to formed votes for their apical 10 players successful bid from that shortlist. The 10 players are awarded 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 constituent based connected ranking.

Once each journalists person submitted their apical 10s, points are tallied and nan victor of nan Ballon d'Or is nan subordinate who accrued nan astir points successful nan voting, while nan remainder are classed from 2nd to 30th.

If players are tied connected points, they are separated by nan number of first spot votes they received. If they are still level, nan number of 2nd spot votes are used, and truthful on.

Journalists taking portion successful nan ballot are encouraged to see 3 factors:

The measurement successful which nan Ballon d'Or is awarded has changed importantly since it was first created successful 1956.

Until 1995, only European footballers were eligible for nan award. Then, for nan adjacent 12 years, players of immoderate root playing for a nine successful Europe were eligible. Only from 2007 onwards person each players worldwide been included.

Between 2007 and 2015, nan skipper and head of each Fifa-recognised world squad was invited to participate successful nan last vote, but some anterior to that play and since then, only journalists person contributed.

From 2010 to 2015, Fifa collaborated pinch France Football connected nan award, which was known arsenic nan Fifa Ballon d'Or.

Fifa now springiness retired their ain abstracted prize, called nan Fifa Best subordinate award, but its deficiency of semipermanent history intends nan Ballon d'Or is mostly considered much prestigious.

Prior to 2022, voting was based connected a player's performances complete nan people of a almanac twelvemonth – comprising half of 2 abstracted seasons successful astir elite leagues – earlier being changed to encompass a azygous afloat season.

The women's award, known arsenic nan Ballon d'or Feminine, was first created successful 2018.

It has been won doubly by Spain internationals Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, arsenic good arsenic erstwhile each by Norway's Ada Hegerberg and nan USA's Megan Rapinoe.

There is simply a flimsy nuance successful nan measurement nan women's grant is voted for - nan aforesaid strategy of pre-selection followed by a assemblage of journalists is used, but only 50 journalists from nan top-ranked nations are invited to return part, alternatively than 100.

Having taken location nan trophy 8 times, Lionel Messi has won much nan Ballon d'Or much often than immoderate different player.

Perennial rival Cristiano Ronaldo is 2nd pinch 5 titles, while Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten won 3 each.

Alfredo di Stefano, Franz Beckenbauer, Kevin Keegan, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Ronaldo Nazario – each pinch 2 - are nan only others to person won nan men's Ballon d'Or much than once.

The awarding of nan Ballon d'Or sometimes draws disapproval from fans and pundits.

In nan past, complaints person focused connected nan truth that nan grant has historically favoured attacking midfielders and forwards complete much protect players.

Only 2 centre-backs (Beckenbauer and Fabio Cannavaro) and 1 goalkeeper (Lev Yashin) person ever won nan award.

The jury's inclination to ballot for players whose teams person won nan biggest prizes successful nan crippled that year, for illustration nan World Cup and Champions League, has besides caused contention successful nan past.

Some judge corporate accomplishment should not effect voting, and that a subordinate who has performed highly arsenic an individual should not miss retired because his squad was little successful.

Furthermore, nan truth that nan main grant is voted shape by journalists, alternatively than players, coaches, aliases ex-professionals, has occasionally led to criticism.

Finally, for immoderate fans, nan conception of an individual grant successful a squad athletics renders nan Ballon d'Or unimportant.

The 2025 Ballon d'Or victor will beryllium announced connected 22 September 2025 during a ceremonial astatine nan Theatre du Chatelet successful cardinal Paris.

A assortment of different awards are fixed retired during nan ceremony, including:

The pursuing players are considered among nan main contenders for nan 2025 men's Ballon d'Or, based connected their performances since 1 August 2024 pinch 1 much world model of fixtures and nan Club World Cup earlier 31 July 2025.

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