Have you ever stopped to wonder what really happens behind the glittering stage of the Ballon d’Or ceremony? Every year, football fans all over the globe wait impatiently to find out who will lift that golden ball. And every year, debates explode. Some cheer. Others rage. Social media fills with cries of “He didn’t deserve it!”
But let’s pause for a moment. Who actually decides the Ballon d’Or winner? And on what basis? Is it just about scoring goals? Or does lifting a Champions League trophy carry more weight than dazzling solo performances?
Welcome, dear reader, to FreeAstroScience.com, where we love making sense of complicated rules – whether they belong to galaxies far away or to the game we play on our neighborhood pitch. Stay with us until the end, and we’ll uncover not only how the Ballon d’Or is awarded, but also the surprising records, controversies, and little details that make this prize so fascinating.
Who Votes for the Ballon d’Or?
Despite what many think, the Ballon d’Or is not decided by fans or team managers. Instead, the decision rests in the hands of journalists carefully chosen by France Football, the French magazine that created the award in 1956.
Here’s how it works today:
- 100 journalists from the top 100 nations in the FIFA men’s ranking cast their votes.
- For the women’s Ballon d’Or, 50 journalists from the top 50 countries in the FIFA women’s ranking are selected.
- A shortlist of 30 male players (and 20 female players) is drawn up by France Football and L’Équipe with help from legendary figures such as Didier Drogba (the Ballon d’Or ambassador), Luís Figo, Fabio Capello, and Nadine Kessler.
- Each juror selects their top 10 players in order of preference, giving 15 points to their first choice, 12 to their second, 10 to their third, and then 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
The player with the highest total wins. If two players tie, the winner is the one with more first-place votes.
This system is designed to balance different perspectives: not just European dominance, but voices from Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Still, the debate over fairness never ends.
What Are the Real Criteria?
Since 2022, the Ballon d’Or has been based on the football season (August 1 to July 31), not the calendar year. This means the award reflects everything a player achieves in a single season, from league titles to international tournaments.
The criteria are threefold:
- Individual performances – goals, assists, saves, and overall influence on matches. Leadership and the ability to inspire teammates also matter.
- Team success – domestic leagues, continental tournaments, and international competitions. A player’s role in a winning team can boost their chances dramatically.
- Style and fair play – technical skill, elegance, and respect for the game. A genius with a bad attitude may lose votes to a player who embodies sportsmanship.
This mix creates an eternal question: should the Ballon d’Or reward the best individual player or the one who combined brilliance with team glory? That’s why debates never end.
A Timeline of Glory and Drama
The Ballon d’Or has been awarded since 1956, when English winger Stanley Matthews became the very first winner at the age of 41. Since then, the golden ball has witnessed incredible rivalries, records, and razor-thin victories.
Here are some highlights:
- Youngest winner: Ronaldo Nazário in 1997, at just 21 years and 3 months.
- Oldest winner: Stanley Matthews at 41 years and 11 months.
- The record holder: Lionel Messi, with 8 Ballons d’Or (2009–2023). He is also the only player to win in three different decades and with three different clubs (Barcelona, PSG, Inter Miami).
- The Cristiano–Messi duopoly: Between 2008 and 2023, only two other players managed to break their dominance: Luka Modrić (2018) and Karim Benzema (2022).
- Closest margin ever: In 1996, Matthias Sammer beat Ronaldo by just one point (144–143).
These moments remind us how much the award depends on fine details – a single game, a single vote, or a single trophy can shift history.
Is It About Justice or Popularity?
Every autumn, when the winner is announced in Paris, the same storm brews: Was it fair? Or was it just a contest of popularity?
Some argue the award has become biased toward attackers, forgetting defenders and goalkeepers. Others point out how winning the Champions League or World Cup often overshadows extraordinary individual performances.
And yet, maybe that’s what makes the Ballon d’Or so captivating. It forces us to ask: what truly defines greatness in football? Numbers on a scoresheet? Medals in a trophy cabinet? Or moments of magic that stay with us forever?
Why Does It Matter So Much?
At the end of the day, the Ballon d’Or is not just a golden ball. It’s a mirror of our passion for football. It reflects our arguments in cafés, our heated WhatsApp group debates, and our childhood memories of players who made us fall in love with the game.
Here at FreeAstroScience.com, we believe knowledge makes experiences richer. Whether we’re exploring galaxies or football fields, the goal is the same: to keep our minds awake and curious. Because, as Francisco Goya once warned, “The sleep of reason produces monsters.”
So, next time you see a player lift the Ballon d’Or, don’t just watch the trophy shine. Think about the votes, the criteria, the fine margins, and the history being written in front of your eyes.
And now the question is yours: who do you think deserves the next Ballon d’Or?
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