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September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
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Sports Desk • Award

Ballon d'Or

The Ballon d'Or is an annual football award presented by France Football to honour the best-performing players in world football.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

The Ballon d'Or is an annual football award presented by France Football. It honours the best-performing players in world football, with a men's prize since 1956 and a women's prize since 2018.

What it is

The Ballon d'Or was introduced by France Football in 1956 and first awarded to Stanley Matthews. It has become one of football's most prestigious individual honours. A women's version, the Ballon d'Or Féminin, was added in 2018.

Why it matters

The award recognises individual performance, team achievements, and fair play. Lionel Messi holds the record for most men's wins with eight, while Aitana Bonmatí leads the women's award with three. The Ballon d'Or is a benchmark for greatness in the sport.

Key details

The current men's holder is Ousmane Dembélé, who won the 2025 edition. The award is decided by a vote of journalists. It was not presented in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lev Yashin remains the only goalkeeper to win the men's award.

In short

  • The Ballon d'Or is football's top individual award, awarded since 1956.
  • Lionel Messi has won the men's award a record eight times.
  • The women's award was introduced in 2018.
  • Ousmane Dembélé is the current men's holder (2025).
Canadian angle

Canadian readers may know the award through international football coverage and Canadian media reports on global stars and major football ceremonies. Canada does not have a long Ballon d'Or tradition, but Canadian audiences follow it as a leading global sports award.

Quick questions

What is Ballon d'Or?
The Ballon d'Or is an annual football award presented by France Football to the sport's best players.
Who has won the most Ballon d'Or?
Lionel Messi has won the men's Ballon d'Or the most, with eight titles.
How is Ballon d'Or decided?
It is decided by a voting process conducted by journalists, based on player performance and achievements under the organisers' criteria.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballon_d'Or
    Supports: Record winners, 2025 men's winner, first award year, and general award history
  2. UEFA — https://www.uefa.com/ballondor/news/0287-195e642735da-0594342b9554-1000--history-of-the-ballon-d-or-all-the-winners/
    Supports: Annual nature, 1956 origin, winners list, and women's award history
  3. Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/sports/List-of-Ballon-d-Or-Winners
    Supports: First winner, all-time record wins, and historical notes
  4. Olympics.com — https://www.olympics.com/en/news/ballon-d-or-winners-messi-ronaldo-zidane-complete-list
    Supports: Record wins, first men's and women's winners, and 2020 non-award
  5. Sports Illustrated — https://www.si.com/soccer/ballon-dor-all-time-most-wins
    Supports: 2023 winner, most wins, and historical winners list
  6. NBC Sports — https://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/news/who-has-won-the-most-ballon-dor-awards-all-time-winners
    Supports: Most men's wins and 2023 winner