UEFA and the Amaury Group, the entity behind L’Equipe and France Football magazine, known for creating the Ballon d’Or, have announced a partnership to jointly organize the awards ceremony beginning next year.
While the Amaury Group will retain ownership of the Ballon d’Or and continue managing the voting process, UEFA will handle commercial rights and collaborate on the organization of the annual awards gala.
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Additionally, two new awards for the men’s and women’s coach of the year will be introduced in 2024.
“We are very happy with this partnership to co-organise the Ballon d’Or ceremony,” said Jean-Etienne Amaury, managing director of the Amaury group.
“It’s a trophy created in 1956 by France Football, the same year of the creation of the European Champions Clubs’ Cup, so there’s a common history between UEFA and the Ballon d’Or.
“The ceremony has taken on a global scale over the past 15 years with worldwide media coverage,” he added.
“So the partnership with UEFA makes perfect sense since it is one of the major players in this sport.”
The annual ceremony is traditionally held in Paris, but there is potential for it to move to other major European cities beyond 2024.
“It’s the meeting of the two best brands in football. On one side, THE trophy in football is the Ballon d’Or, and on the other side, UEFA has the best competition in the world,” said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, alluding to the Champions League.
“So there was a sense in doing something together. All players dream of winning a UEFA competition and the Ballon d’Or,” he added.
The Ballon d’Or, initially introduced in 1956, was originally presented to the best European footballer each season. In 1995, it was expanded to encompass players of all origins based in Europe.
Further global recognition came in 2007 when it became an international award, making players from around the world eligible for consideration. A recent modification to the award criteria evaluates a player’s performance over the last season, departing from the previous calendar-year basis.
On Monday, Lionel Messi secured his eighth Ballon d’Or, setting a new record, following his exceptional performance in leading Argentina to victory at the 2022 World Cup.
The Women’s Ballon d’Or was awarded to Aitana Bonmati, who excelled for both her club and country, playing a pivotal role in Barcelona’s Champions League victory and Spain’s World Cup success.
