The Ballon d'Or awards are being held tonight in Paris, celebrating the best players of the 2024/25 season. Established by French magazine France Football in 1956, the Ballon d'Or is often confused with The Best FIFA Football Awards, which began in 2017 as a rebranded revival of FIFA's World Player of the Year awards (1991-2009).
Between 2010 and 2015, the two awards merged to form the FIFA Ballon d'Or, but they split again in 2016. FIFA now hosts The Best FIFA Football Awards, while France Football runs the Ballon d'Or. Since 2022, the Ballon d'Or has been awarded at the end of the season (October), while The Best FIFA Awards are held in January for the previous calendar year.
Both ceremonies feature men's and women's awards and goalkeeper prizes. However, the Ballon d'Or also includes the Kopa Trophy (best young player), the Gerd Müller Trophy (top goalscorer), and Club of the Year. The Best FIFA Awards recognise the best coaches, announce world XIs, and present the Puskás Award for the best goal.
The voting processes differ: for the Ballon d'Or, France Football selects longlists and a panel of international journalists votes, with points allocated for top five choices. For The Best FIFA Awards, voting is split equally among national team coaches, captains, media, and fans via the FIFA website.
The Ballon d'Or, with its 67-year history, is generally considered the more prestigious individual prize in men's and women's football, compared to FIFA's newer awards.
