Tonight, Lionel Messi is fancied to win the Ballon d’Or, which will be the eighth time the Argentinian has walked off with the award, while fellow World Cup winner Aitana Bonmati is favourite take the Ballon d’Or Feminin.
It’s the highest individual honour that a footballer can receive, and while the physical manifestation of it — a quite literal golden, 18-carat, 22cm football that weighs around 12 kilos — is impressive enough, the real prize is the kudos and glory that comes with it.
Why is it so prestigious? How do you win it? Who decides who wins it? When did the people behind it discover that women play football too? Do players care? And what is the plural of Ballon d’Or?
We invite you to find out all of this, and possibly more, by reading on…
What is the Ballon d’Or?
The Ballon d’Or is an annual award given to the best men’s and women’s footballers in the world. Basically, it’s world football’s MVP award.
Alexia Putellas receiving the award last year (Photo: Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)
Whose bright idea was it?
The first Ballon d’Or was awarded in 1956, and back then was widely known simply as the European Footballer Of The Year award. It was the brainchild of Gabriel Hanot and Jacques Ferran, two journalists from France Football…
