Comprehensive History of the Ballon d'Or Award

The Ballon d’Or has been awarded annually since 1956, chronicling football's greatest individual performers, starting with Stanley Matthews as the inaugural winner. Initially restricted to European players, the eligibility criteria changed in 1995, allowing players of any nationality playing for European clubs to compete, leading to George Weah becoming the first African and non-European winner.

In 2007, the award became global, extending eligibility beyond European clubs. Between 2010 and 2015, the award was known as the FIFA Ballon d’Or due to a partnership with FIFA, during which Lionel Messi won four consecutive awards from 2010 to 2012, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013 and 2014.

France Football resumed control in 2016. The Ballon d’Or Féminin was introduced in 2018, with Ada Hegerberg as the first winner.

In 2022, the evaluation period shifted from a calendar year to a season-based assessment. Since 2024, UEFA and Groupe Amaury co-organize the ceremony.