The Ballon d’Or is the premier individual prize in football and you can expect to find the usual suspects in the running for the award, as well as some new faces. Our Ballon d’Or odds page offers the latest odds and a look at the current favourites, showing how each participant’s chances have been rated by the bookies.
| Player | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Vinicius Jr | 4/1 | bet365 |
| Kylian Mbappe | 9/2 | BetMGM |
| Mohammed Salah | 5/1 | William Hill |
| Lamine Yamal | 6/1 | Betfair |
| Erling Haaland | 7/1 | Paddy Power |
Ballon d'Or in a Nutshell
Everything You Need to Know About the Ballon d’Or
Let’s take a look at what the Ballon d’Or is, how it’s decided and who has won it in the past.
Ballon d’Or History
The Ballon d’Or is an annual award presented by France Football to the best performing footballer over the past calendar year. The award is generally considered the highest individual honour a football player can receive. The first Ballon d’Or was awarded in 1956 to Stanley Matthews.
From 2010 to 2015 the Ballon d’Or was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year Award, though it is now once again independently awarded by France Football. Since 2018 an award has also been presented to the best female player, the Ballon d’Or Feminin.
Ballon d’Or Voting
The Ballon d’Or winner is chosen from 30 nominees by a panel of journalists. The 30-man shortlist is chosen by the editorial staff of France Football, and then an international jury of journalists from a number of different nations vote for the winner. Each country has one representative journalist. A full ranking of all nominees is given during the ceremony before the winner is announced.
Each journalist selects their top five best players, with six points going to the first selection, four to the second, three to the third, two to the fourth and one to the player listed in fifth. The voting is based on set criteria, which are considered in the following order:
- Individual and collective performances from the past year
- Player class, which France Football defines as “talent and fair play”
- The player’s overall career
Ballon d’Or Winners
For the majority of its history, the Ballon d’Or has produced a wide variety of winners, with a new player taking the prize most years. However, from 2008-2017 the award was shared exclusively between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Lionel Messi holds the record of 8 Ballon d’Or’s while his rival Ronaldo holds an impressive 5.
Lionel Messi was named 2019 FIFA Player of the Year, beating Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Barcelona forward won a record sixth Ballon d Or title.
| Player | Number of Wins |
|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | 8 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021,2023) |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 5 (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017) |
| Michel Platini | 3 (1983, 1984, 1985) |
| Johan Cruyff | 3 (1971, 1973, 1974) |
| Marco van Basten | 3 (1988, 1989, 1992) |
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