When is the Ballon d’Or 2024 ceremony? Award winners to be announced in Paris

Created by the prestigious France Football outlet in 1956, the Ballon d’Or is generally regarded as soccer’s most prestigious award. Blackpool and England’s Stanley Matthews was its first winner, while Lionel Messi is the current holder of the men’s award having secured a record eight awards.

The Ballon d’Or, the highest individual recognition in the world of Football is this year a joint venture between UEFA and France Football who join forces for the first time.

With the curtain coming down earlier in the summer on the two major 2023/2024 season international tournaments (the European Championship and the Copa América), the shortlist of nominees have been compiled based on their performance over the season, from August 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024. A panel of journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings for men and the top 50 for women then cast their votes.

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Paris setting

The Theatre du Chatelet in Paris will be the venue for the award ceremony on 28 October with the precise time of the gala yet to be confirmed.

Real Madrid and the Spanish national team - winners of the Champions League and European Championship respectively - are the most represented candidates, while Barcelona women’s team also claim plenty of attention, with eight nominees. In addition, Lamine Yamal, Cubarsí and Arda Güler are some of the young players under 21 years of age nominated for the Kopa Award. Unai Simón, Lunin and Mamardashvili are among the best goalkeepers of the season.

At club level, Real Madrid and Girona are nominated for best men’s team of the season, while Barça are in the section for best women’s team. As for best coach of the year, three Spaniards make the shortlist in: Luis De la Fuente, Pep Guardiola and Xabi Alonso.

There will also be two major absentees this year as, for the first time since 2003, neither Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo have been included in the shortlist of 30 players nominated for the Men’s Player of the Season award.