UEFA to Co-Organize Ballon d’Or in 2024

The Ballon d’Or is set to change in 2024 after European football’s governing body UEFA announced it will co-organise the event with French media company Groupe Amaury. New awards for the men’s and women’s coach of the year will also be introduced from next year. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin hailed “a synergy that promises to be nothing short of exceptional.”

UEFA has announced that it will co-organise the Ballon d’Or from 2024, while a new award for the best men’s and women’s coaches will be introduced.

The prestigious prize, handed out annually to the best men’s and women’s footballers in the world, was previously presented by France Football.

But Groupe Amaury, the owner of France Football, has agreed to partner with UEFA from next year.

“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,” said a UEFA statement.

Groupe Amaury will remain the owner of the Ballon d’Or brand and will continue to oversee an “unchanged and independent” voting system, while UEFA says it will “contribute its football expertise, market the global commercial rights and organise the annual awards gala.”

Men’s and women’s coach of the year awards will be introduced from 2024, it was announced.

They will be added to the existing prize list: the Men’s Ballon d’Or, Women’s Ballon d’Or, Kopa Trophy (best under-21 player), Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper), Gerd Muller Trophy (top scorer in previous season), Men’s Club of the Season Trophy, Women’s Club of the Season Trophy, and Socrates Award (humanitarian work).

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“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,” said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.

“UEFA club and national team competitions, such as the UEFA Champions League and UEFA EURO, are regarded as the highest global stages for elite players, often playing a critical role in a players’ candidacy for major honours and their place in the football pantheon.

“UEFA and Ballon d’Or are synonyms of sporting excellence, so our partnership will be a natural blend of prominence and a synergy that promises to be nothing short of exceptional.”

The news comes in the same week that Lionel Messi scooped a record-extending eighth men’s Ballon d’Or after inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory in December 2022.

The Inter Miami forward has won the award more than any other player, with Cristiano Ronaldo his closest rival with five.

Spain’s World Cup winner Aitana Bonmati won the fifth edition of the Women’s Ballon d’Or while Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham was named the best young player and awarded the Kopa Trophy.

Source: Euro Sports