Ballon d'Or Gala Ceremony
The Ballon d'Or is an annual football award presented by France Football to the best male and female players in the world. The award was established in 1956 for men and in 2018 for women, and is currently presented to the winning payers at an elaborate Ballon d'Or Gala Ceremony held in Paris, France in October each year.
Johan Cruyff being presented with the Ballon d'Or in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, by Max Urini, editor-in-chief France Football. April 13, 1972 The presentation of the award has evolved over time, in line with the prestige. For much of its early history, the winner was announced via a press release or magazine publication.
In 2010, the Ballon d'Or merged with FIFA's World Player of the Year award, creating the FIFA Ballon d'Or, and at the same time an elaborate gala ceremony was conducted to honor the winners, which was a continuation of the FIFA World Player Gala which had been held previously. The gala event was held in Zürich from 2010 until 2015, close to FIFA HQ. After this collaboration ended in 2016, France Football reclaimed ownership of the award and held all subsequent award ceremonies in Paris, France..
Current Gala Ceremony
The award ceremony held in recent years are grand events featuring star-studded audiences, live performances, and emotional moments. Today, the gala is not just about celebrating the best male and female players, there are many other awards presented as part of the ceremony.
Current Awards Presented at the Gala Ceremony
- Men's Ballon d'Or — for the best male football player.
- Women's Ballon d'Or — for the best female football player.
- Kopa Trophy — for the for best young men's player
- Yashin Trophy — for best male goalkeeper
- Gerd Müller Trophy — for highest-scoring footballer in the previous season
- Socrates Award — for humanitarian work
- Coach of the Year — men's and women's award
Previous Ceremony Details
| Award | Date | Location | Hosts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 27 Oct, 2025 (TBC) | ||
| 2024 | 28 Oct, 2024 | Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France | Sandy Heribert / Didier Drogba |
| 2023 | 30 Oct, 2023 | Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France | Sandy Heribert / Didier Drogba |
| 2022 | 17 Oct, 2022 | Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France | Sandy Heribert / Didier Drogba |
| 2021 | 29 Nov, 2021 | Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France | Sandy Heribert / Didier Drogba |
| 2020 | no award | ||
| 2019 | 2 Dec, 2019 | Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France | Sandy Heribert / Didier Drogba |
| 2018 | 3 Dec, 2018 | Grand Palais, Paris, France | |
| 2017 | 7 Dec, 2017 | Eiffel Tower, Paris, France | Idris Elba |
| 2016 | 12 Dec 2016 | winner announced online | |
| 2015 | 11 Jan, 2016 | Kongresshaus, Zürich, Switzerland | Kate Abdo, James Nesbitt |
| 2014 | 12 Jan, 2015 | Kongresshaus, Zürich, Switzerland | Kate Abdo |
| 2013 | 13 Jan, 2014 | Kongresshaus, Zürich, Switzerland | Fernanda Lima, Ruud Gullit |
| 2012 | 7 Jan, 2013 | Kongresshaus, Zürich, Switzerland | Ruud Gullit, Kay Murray |
| 2011 | 9 Jan, 2012 | Kongresshaus, Zürich, Switzerland | Ruud Gullit, Kay Murray |
| 2010 | 10 Jan, 2011 | Zürich, Switzerland | |
| 2009 | 1 Dec, 2009 | Paris, France |
Related Pages
- Ballon d'Or Trophy Design
- Super Ballon d'Or
- Ballon d'Or Trivia
- Ballon d'Or Quiz
- Ballon d'Or Home
- Ballon d'Or Voting
- Football Awards Lists
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
Upcoming Events