It will also be made public who will receive the prestigious Ballon d’Or. Starting this year, UEFA is organizing the big gala together with the French media group Groupe Amaury. The Ballon d’Or has been awarded annually since 1956 by the specialist magazine “France Football”, which belongs to Groupe Amaury. The defending champion is the Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, who received the Golden Ball for the eighth time in 2023.
The former Barca star will definitely not be included this time, as he is not in the 30-player pre-selection. Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham can have high hopes, and his club colleagues Antonio Rüdiger, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe are also nominated, as is Toni Kroos, who retired in the summer. From the Spanish European champions, young star Lamine Yamal, who is also nominated for the “Kopa Trophy”, Rodri and Dani Olmo are also in the running. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, Bayern Munich’s top striker Harry Kane and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz are also in the running.
The Ballon d’Or is not a replacement for the World Footballer of the Year award. This award will continue to be organized by the world association (FIFA). From 2010 to 2015, the World Footballer of the Year was awarded the Golden Ball through a cooperation between FIFA and “France Football”.
