UEFA will co-organise the Ballon d’Or, football’s most prestigious award, with France Football from 2024.
UEFA announced on its website today (3 March) that it has entered into a partnership with France Football, the parent organisation of the Ballon d’Or.
The Ballon d’Or, which is awarded to the best player in the world, is the world’s most prestigious football award, founded in 1956 by French football magazine France Football.
Since 2010, it has been combined with the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and awarded as the FIFA Ballon d’Or, before being separated in 2016.
However, from 2024, when the award will continue to be co-organised by UEFA, France Football will be in charge of selecting the winner independently.
Instead, UEFA said it has reached an agreement with the Amory Group to provide the necessary football expertise for the award and help organise the ceremony on a global scale.
Under the deal, awards such as the UEFA World Player of the Year, which used to take place every August, will be eliminated, AP and Reuters reported.
If reports are to be believed, the awards will be merged into the Ballon d’Or, which UEFA did not explain.
Instead, UEFA only said in an announcement on its website that the Ballon d’Or will have a new male and female managerial award category.
However, UEFA has decided to retain the UEFA President’s Award, which recognises a person’s contribution to football, Reuters reported.
At the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony on 30 March, “football god” Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) was announced as the winner of the men’s award.
The women’s Ballon d’Or went to Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona), who led Spain to victory at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in August this year. 안전놀이터
