In a recent development, the United European Football Association (UEFA) are all set to co-organize the Ballon D’or award ceremony from next year onwards. That means the next Ballon D’or event will not have FIFA involved as UEFA have partnered with Groupe Amaury, the publishers of L’Equipe and French Football magazine.
This move comes only a few days after Lionel Messi won his 8th Ballon D’or award at the Theatre Du Chatelet in Paris. Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe finished as 2nd and 3rd while Aitana Bonmati became the Femini Ballon D’or award.
Number of awards in the Ballon D’or ceremony will increase to 10 as 2 awards for Best Male and Female coaches have been added. Until this year, the Ballon d’Or, Women’s Ballon d’Or, Kopa Trophy, Yashin Trophy, Gerd Muller Trophy, Men’s Club of the Season Trophy, Women’s Club of the Season Trophy and Socrates Award were given.
But next year we will see Coaches lifting the award as well. Group Amaury will still have full control of the event and UEFA will come in as organizers and promoters of the event in the most simplest of terms. The European body also aims to enhance the ceremony with their expertise in Football and as a result UEFA have decided to scrap their own best player of the year awards.
“Together, UEFA and Groupe Amaury aim to enhance the stature and global reach of the awards while fostering a sense of unity and collaboration within the football community.” – UEFA said in an official statement.
UEFA’s president Aleksander Ceferin expressed his delight on this association and said that the next phase of Ballon D’or awards will prove to be even more special. “For almost 70 years, the Ballon d’Or has stood as the most prestigious individual accolade in the world of football and is a testament to the extraordinary skill, dedication, and impact of the game’s legends and their enduring mark on the sport’s history.” – Aleksander said.
