It takes place Ballon d’Or 2024 ceremony On Monday evening, October 28, at the Chatelet Theater in the French capital, Paris, to honor the best male and female player in the 2023-24 season, where the ceremony will witness a new organization and unexpected surprises.
New changes in selection criteria
This 68th edition of the ceremony will be the first in which “L’Equipe” newspaper cooperates with the European Football Association and “France Football” magazine in presenting awards. The selection criteria will depend on a jury of 100 international journalists representing the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings, while 50 journalists will participate in voting for the Women’s Award. Each voter will be asked to choose the top 10 players in order, with points distributed starting from 15 points for first place up to one point for tenth place.
Absence of big names
The men’s race will be hotly contested between several players, most notably Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodri, while the women’s race features a distinguished trio including Salma Baralolo, Caroline Graham-Hansen and Aitana Bonmatti.
It is worth noting that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are absent from the list of candidates for the first time in 21 years, which constitutes a major shift in the history of football.
Gerd Müller Prize
This year, the Gerd Müller Trophy for Top Goal of the Season goes to Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé, who have both scored 52 goals. This award is expected to be Harry Kane’s stepping stone towards more achievements with Bayern Munich.
New awards and changes in the Golden Ball ceremony
New awards will be added to the ceremony, including Best Coach for the Men’s Team and Best for the Women’s Team, with notable nominations including Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti.
The big surprise
In an unprecedented move, the award winners will not be informed in advance, adding an element of suspense to the ceremony. Only two people know the results so far: the event’s editorial producer, Mark Lass, and France Football’s editor-in-chief, Vincent Garcia.
According to Garcia, this decision aims to prevent leaks and enhance the moment of surprise at the ceremony, making the celebration more emotional.
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