Ballon d’Or awards to be co-organized by UEFA

LONDON: Football’s most prestigious individual prize, the Ballon d’Or, will be co-organised by UEFA from next year, giving the European body a global event that traditionally out-ranks FIFA’s own world awards.

The deal comes seven years after a previous partnership between the French organisers of the award and world governing body FIFA ended.

From 2024, the Ballon d’Or awards and ceremony will be co-organised by UEFA and Groupe Amaury, which publishes France Football and L’Equipe.

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France Football magazine created the Ballon d’Or, which was first awarded in 1956 to England winger Stanley Matthews. For six seasons from 2010 the award was known as the FIFA Ballon d’Or, and ceremonies were held in the world governing body’s home city Zurich.

FIFA has run its own Best Awards since 2016 and previously had an annual world player of the year award since 1991.

The latest edition of the Ballon d’Or was held on Monday in Paris with two World Cup winners taking the awards as best player: Lionel Messi won the men’s prize for the eighth time and Aitana Bonmatí took home her first women’s award.

“UEFA will contribute its football expertise, market the global commercial rights and organize the annual awards gala,” it said in a statement. Agencies

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