What Is the Ballon d'Or?
The Ballon d'Or is football's most prestigious individual award: a golden ball presented each year by the French magazine France Football to the player judged the best in the world over the past season. First awarded in 1956, it has become the sport's defining honour — the one players cite in childhood dreams and contract negotiations alike.
In 2026 the award carries extra weight because it lands in a World Cup year. The tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico sits inside the voting window, meaning the 2026 Ballon d'Or will be shaped by both the club season and football's biggest stage. This guide explains the award's history, how voting actually works, and why World Cup years have so often decided it.
A Short History: From 1956 to Today
France Football created the award in 1956, with England's Stanley Matthews its first winner. For decades it honoured European players at European clubs; eligibility widened to any player at a European club in 1995 and went fully global in 2007. The roll of winners reads as a history of the sport itself — from Di Stéfano and Cruyff to Platini, Ronaldo, Zidane, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The modern era brought structural changes. Between 2010 and 2015 the award merged with FIFA's world player prize as the FIFA Ballon d'Or, before returning to France Football's sole stewardship. A women's Ballon d'Or Féminin has been presented since 2018, joined by trophies for the best young player and best goalkeeper. Since 2024 the ceremony has been co-organised with UEFA, turning it into one of football's biggest gala nights.
Messi holds the record with eight wins, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five. No Arab player has won, though Mohamed Salah has come closest in recent votings, finishing among the leading candidates. Defenders and goalkeepers rarely win — Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 remains the exception that proves how strongly the award leans toward attackers.
How the Voting Works
The process begins with a 30-player shortlist selected by France Football's editorial team. A jury of specialist journalists — one per country, drawn from the top footballing nations — then votes. Each juror ranks five players, with points awarded on a sliding scale: six points for first place, then four, three, two and one. The player with the most points wins; ties are broken by the number of first-place votes.
Since 2022, two reforms have defined the modern award. Eligibility moved from the calendar year to the football season (roughly August to July), and the criteria were reordered: individual performances and decisive influence first, team trophies second, and the player's class and fair play third. The change was meant to reward the season just completed rather than a blend of two.
The women's award follows the same logic with its own jury and shortlist, and the evening now covers much more than two trophies: the Kopa Trophy for the best under-21 player, the Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper, and further prizes for top scorer and coach have turned the ceremony into football's annual review. For voters and fans alike, though, the golden ball remains the headline.
Why a World Cup Year Changes Everything
Because the award now follows the season, a June–July World Cup falls directly inside the voting window. The 2026 tournament (11 June – 19 July) will be the last thing jurors watch before the 2026 Ballon d'Or is decided in the autumn. A defining three weeks in North America can outweigh an ordinary club season — and history says it often does.
The pattern is striking: Zinedine Zidane won in 1998 after lifting the World Cup with France; Ronaldo reclaimed it in 2002 after firing Brazil to the title; Cannavaro won in 2006 after captaining Italy; Luka Modrić broke the Messi–Ronaldo duopoly in 2018 after leading Croatia to the final; and Messi's 2023 win followed his Qatar 2022 triumph. The link is not automatic — club dominance has won out in other years — but a great World Cup is the single strongest argument a candidate can make.
The 2022 Qatar edition also proved that timing matters in another way: a winter World Cup still shaped the following year's vote, because it closed the 2022–23 season window. Jurors, in short, vote on memories as much as metrics.
The 2026 Race: What to Watch
As of publication, the reigning holder is Ousmane Dembélé, crowned in 2025 after Paris Saint-Germain's treble-winning season, with Aitana Bonmatí holding the women's award. The 2026 race will take shape across the 2025–26 club season, then likely be decided by what happens at the World Cup: a deep run by a favourite's talisman, or a surprise hero from an emerging side, can reorder the entire field.
For Arab football followers, the award has an extra dimension: strong World Cup campaigns by Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia or the other Arab qualifiers would put their stars in front of the voting jury on the biggest stage. The ceremony itself is expected in autumn 2026; organisers announce the date and host city closer to the event.
What should a sensible watcher track? Three signals usually matter: who wins the Champions League in May, which national teams reach the World Cup's final weekend, and whether one player owns a defining moment — a final-winning goal, a decisive knockout performance. Narratives crystallise fast after the tournament; by the time the shortlist appears in late summer, the race is usually down to a handful of names.
Sources
- France Football — the magazine that created and organises the award
- Ballon d'Or — Official Site — nominees, winners and ceremony news
- FIFA — World Cup 2026 — official tournament hub: dates, venues, teams
- BBC Sport — Football — international football coverage and award analysis
FAQ
Who votes for the Ballon d'Or?
A jury of international football journalists — one per country from the leading football nations — each ranking five players from a 30-name shortlist, with points from six down to one deciding the winner.
Does the 2026 World Cup count toward the Ballon d'Or?
Yes. Since eligibility follows the season (August to July), the June–July 2026 tournament falls inside the voting window for the 2026 award and is expected to weigh heavily on jurors.
Who won the most recent Ballon d'Or?
Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 men's award after PSG's treble season, and Aitana Bonmatí won the women's award for a third consecutive year. The 2026 winners will be announced in autumn 2026.
Has a defender ever won the Ballon d'Or?
Yes, but rarely. Franz Beckenbauer won twice in the 1970s, Matthias Sammer in 1996, and Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 after captaining Italy to the World Cup. Attackers dominate the historical list.
When is the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony?
The ceremony is expected in autumn 2026, after the World Cup. France Football and its co-organisers confirm the exact date and venue nearer the time, so watch the official award channels.
About the Author
doyouknow.app Editorial Team — We cover Arab football and the global game with tactical insight and historical context, from World Cup campaigns to the awards that define each season.
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