How is the Ballon d’Or winner selected? (Complete Guide)

발롱도르 수상자는 세계에서 가장 권위 있는 축구 개인 상으로, 매년 프랑스의 축구 잡지에 의해 선정됩니다. 1956년에 처음 제정된 이 상은 한 시즌 동안 가장 뛰어난 성과를 낸 선수에게 주어지며, 축구 팬들에게는 큰 관심과 기대를 모으고 있습니다. 이 글에서는 발롱도르의 선정 과정과 관련된 모든 내용을 자세히 살펴보겠습니다. 이제 구체적인 방법을 아래에서 확인해보도록 하겠습니다.

  

What is the Ballon d’Or?

The Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious individual football award presented annually by the French football magazine. Established in 1956, this award is given to the player who has performed the best over the course of a season.

Selection Process for Winners

Step 1: Journalists from and some retired players create a list of 30 candidates.

Step 2: One football journalist from each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings (50 for women) votes for their top 5 (or 10) in order.

Scoring Distribution: Recently, the scoring system has been 1st place (6 points), 2nd place (4 points), 3rd place (3 points), 4th place (2 points), 5th place (1 point) or 1st place (15 points), 2nd place (12 points), 3rd place (10 points), 4th place (8 points), 5th place (7 points), 6th place (5 points), 7th place (4 points), 8th place (3 points), 9th place (2 points), 10th place (1 point).

Tie Handling: In case of a tie, ranking is determined first by the number of 1st place votes, then by the number of 2nd place votes.

Voting Criteria

Individual skill and decisive contributions.

Team performance and whether they won titles.

The player’s dignity and spirit of fair play.

Since 2022, evaluations are based on ‘one season (August to July)’, whereas previously the entire ‘calendar year’ was assessed.

Changes in Selection Method

1956-1994: Only players of European nationality could win.

1995-2006: Non-European players belonging to European clubs were also eligible.

2007-Present: Open to all players worldwide.

2010-2015: Co-organized with FIFA, team managers and captains from each country also participated in voting.

2016-Present: Solely organized, decided only by journalist votes.

The number of candidates is 30 (previously 23, 50, etc.), and the final 3 candidates are not announced separately.

Women’s Ballon d’Or (Ballon d’Or Féminin)

Established in 2018, the selection method is the same as for men, but one journalist from each of the top 50 countries votes.

Major winners: Ada Hegerberg (2018), Megan Rapinoe (2019), Alexia Putellas (2021, 2022), Aitana Bonmatí (2023, 2024).

The women’s Ballon d’Or is awarded on the same day and at the same venue as the men’s ceremony.

Most Awarded Players of the Ballon d’Or

Lionel Messi – 8 times.

Cristiano Ronaldo – 5 times.

Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten – each 3 times.

Alfredo Di Stéfano, Franz Beckenbauer, Lothar Matthäus, Kevin Keegan, Ronaldo (Brazil) – each 2 times.

In the women’s category, Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí hold the record for most awards with 2 each.

Criticism and Controversies

Scarcity of awards for defenders and goalkeepers (only Lev Yashin has won once).

Tendency to award based on team performance (favors players from winning teams).

The fact that it is decided solely by journalist votes raises questions about the meaning of individual awards.

Additionally, various criticisms have been consistently raised, including allegations of vote manipulation and marketability controversies.

2025 Ceremony Schedule and Candidates

The ceremony will be held on September 22, 2025 (Monday) at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France.

The candidate list will be announced in early August, based on performances from the 2024 season (August 1, 2024 – July 31, 2025).

On the same day, the Copa Trophy (under 21), Yashin Trophy (goalkeeper), Coach of the Year, and Club of the Year awards will also be presented.

Potential candidates for the 2025 men’s Ballon d’Or include Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembélé, Vinícius, Bellingham, Rodri, and Mbappé.