what is the ballon d'or

The Ballon d'Or is a prestigious annual football award presented by the French magazine France Football since 1956. It honors the player considered to have performed the best over the previous football season. Originally, the award was only for European players and was known as the European Footballer of the Year, but it expanded over time to include players worldwide. The winner is selected through a voting process that involves journalists from the top footballing nations, assessing individual performance, team achievements, and fair play. The Ballon d'Or is regarded as football's most prestigious individual accolade and has been won by legends such as Lionel Messi, who holds the record with eight awards, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Since 2024, UEFA has co-organized the event alongside France Football, and the award now follows the football season rather than the calendar year for evaluation.