After being associated with FIFA for the last decade, the Ballon d’Or, a traditional award for the best players in the world, will now have UEFA as a partner.
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As a result, the European confederation announced this Friday that it will organize the award together with the Amaury business group, which owns the magazine France Football, founder of the trophy, and the newspaper “L’Équipe”.
In an official statement, UEFA stated that it intends to help make the award grow and have a more global reach.
The Amaury group will continue to own the “Ballon d’Or” brand and organize the voting system, while “UEFA will contribute its football experience, commercialize global commercial rights and organize the annual gala”.
Therefore, the first and biggest impact caused by UEFA’s arrival in next year’s awards will be the creation of two new trophies: best coach (woman and man´s) of the season.
The other awards will be maintained, in addition to the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or: Kopa Trophy (best under-21 player), Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper), Gerd Müller Trophy (top scorer), Best men’s and women’s club and Sócrates Prize (best social action).
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“For almost 70 years, the Ballon d’Or has been the most prestigious individual award in the world of football and is a testament to the extraordinary skill, dedication and impact of the sport’s legends and their lasting mark on the sport’s history”.
“UEFA clubs and national teams, such as the Champions League and the Euros, are considered the most important global stages for elite players, often playing a key role in players’ bid for major honors and their place in the football pantheon. UEFA and Ballon d’Or are synonymous with sporting excellence, so our partnership will be a natural mix of prominence and a synergy that promises to be nothing short of exceptional”, said UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin.
It’s worth remembering that the Ballon d’Or was created by France Football magazine in 1956 and has become the most prestigious award on the planet over the years, electing the best player in the world.
In the 1990s, FIFA decided to create its official award and rivaled the trophy until 2010, when it formed a partnership with the magazine. Between 2010 and 2015, the Ballon d’Or was awarded as FIFA’s official award for the best football player on the planet.
With that, the partnership ended, and FIFA decided to create The Best trophy from 2016 onwards.
Since then, the two awards have been sharing the attention of the football world as relevant trophies, with different criteria and voting methods. Lionel Messi won the last two editions of the awards, given based on different evaluation periods.