How is the Ballon d'Or winner decided?

What the report says

BBC Sport explains how the Ballon d’Or is decided and how the process has evolved since the award was created in 1956. The prize, run by France Football, recognises the player judged to be the best in the world each year. According to the article, the current men’s format begins with a 30-player shortlist assembled by journalists from France Football and L’Equipe, then moves to a final vote by one journalist from each of FIFA’s top 100 ranked nations.

Each voter ranks their top 10 players, with points awarded on a sliding scale. The winner is the player with the highest total, while ties are broken by first-place votes and then second-place votes if needed. BBC Sport says journalists are asked to weigh individual performance, decisive impact, team success, class and fair play. The women’s Ballon d’Or uses a similar structure, but with 50 journalists rather than 100.

The article also notes that the award’s eligibility rules have changed over time, expanding from Europe-only eligibility to all players worldwide, and switching in 2022 from a calendar-year basis to a single season. It says the Ballon d’Or remains the sport’s most prestigious individual honour, though it has faced criticism for favouring attacking players and for the influence of team trophies on voting.

BBC Sport says the next Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled for 26 October in London, where a new set of men’s and women’s contenders has already been named.