News: The 69th Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held on September 22, 2025, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
About Ballon d’Or Award, 2025
- The Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious individual award in football, presented annually by France Football since 1956.
- It honors the best football players worldwide based on their performances during the previous season.
- The Ballon d’Or was first awarded in 1956 and was initially restricted to European players.
- In 1995, eligibility expanded to include all players active in European clubs.
- By 2007, it became a global award open to all professional footballers worldwide.
- The winner of the Ballon d’Or is chosen by an international panel of journalists.
- Each country in the top 100 of the FIFA rankings is represented by one journalist on the voting panel.
- Jurors rank their top ten players, and points are assigned according to these rankings to determine the final winner.
- New categories: New categories have been introduced this year 2025, including-
- Women’s Yashin Trophy, the Women’s Gerd Müller Trophy, and the Women’s Kopa Trophy, to celebrate the achievements of female players.
- Notable Winners: Lionel Messi holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or titles, having won eight times.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award five times.
- 2025 editions: Ousmane Dembélé was crowned the world’s best player of the season, winning the Ballon d’Or in a triumphant night for his club Paris Saint-Germain.
- Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí, a consistent trophy winner, secured the women’s award on Monday.
