Regulations, criteria, nominees, additional trophies… Instructions for the Ballon d’Or 2023, 67th edition of the prestigious award, before the awards ceremony on Monday at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris from 8:45 p.m.
Created in 1956, the Ballon d’Or of France Football magazine took a turn with a reform intended to make it “more readable”.
After rewarding players for their performances over a calendar year, the trophy is now aligned with the calendar of the sporting season and takes into account the entire 2022-2023 financial year.
Also the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is included in the jury’s analysis, as is the Women’s World Cup in July-August 2023 for the women’s distinction. But not the start of the 2023-2024 season, which started in August.
The award criteria have also undergone an overhaul. “Individual performances” and the “decisive and impressive character of the contenders” will be the number 1 criterion, ahead of “the collective aspect and the trophies won” and “the class of the player and his sense of fair play”.
The player’s entire career will no longer be taken into account, to avoid the risks of a “private preserve”, a failing of the past with 12 coronations shared between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in 13 years.
The jury has also been revised, with a narrowing to 100 voters, journalists from the top 100 nations in the Fifa rankings (compared to 170 previously), and 50 voters for the women’s Ballon d’Or.
A preselection of 30 men and 20 women players was established by a committee, made up of the editorial staff of France Football and L’Equipe, as well as former star Didier Drogba.
The nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or:
The nominees for the Women’s Ballon d’Or:
In addition to the men’s and women’s Ballons d’Or, the gala organized at the Théâtre du Châtelet offers other rewards.
The Kopa Trophy will recognize the best young player of the season, aged under 21. Kylian Mbappé won the first edition in 2018, Gavi is the title holder and candidate for his own succession. But the big favorite is the Englishman Jude Bellingham, transferred this summer from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid, where he has been shining since the start of the season.
The Yachine trophy will crown the best goalkeeper, with a big favorite to succeed Thibaut Courtois: Emiliano Martinez.
The “Socrates Prize”, inducted last year, will be reserved for footballers engaged in societal and charitable projects.
The top scorer is rewarded with a prize (the Gerd Müller Trophy), as is the best club of the season.
2022: Karim Benzema; 2021, 2019: Leo Messi; 2018: Luka Modric; 2017, 2016: Cristiano Ronaldo; 2015: Leo Messi; 2014, 2013: Cristiano Ronaldo.
2022, 2021: Alexia Putellas; 2019: Megan Rapinoe; 2018: Ada Hegerberg.
