With the 70th France Football Ballon d’Or ceremony approaching, attention is turning to the criteria jurors use to select the best male and female footballers of the year.
The winners will be announced at the ceremony scheduled for October 26, 2026, in London, with individual performances, team achievements and sportsmanship forming the basis of the voting process.
According to France Football’s official award regulations, the criteria are assessed in a specific order of importance, meaning they do not carry equal weight in the decision.
Here are the three criteria used to determine the 2026 Ballon d’Or winners.
1. Individual performances, decisiveness and impressive displays
Individual performances rank first among the three Ballon d’Or voting criteria.
Jurors are expected to assess how well each nominee performed individually, including their influence on matches, consistency and ability to make a difference in important moments.
This means a player’s overall contribution on the pitch is central to the assessment. Performances that help determine the outcome of matches are particularly relevant under this criterion.
2. Team performances and honours
Team achievements rank second in the Ballon d’Or voting criteria.
Jurors consider what nominees have accomplished with their clubs and national teams, including the honours they have won during the relevant period.
Success in major competitions can therefore form part of the assessment, although team trophies are not the first criterion listed in the official regulations.
The ranking places individual performances ahead of collective achievements when jurors evaluate the nominees.
3. Class and fair play
Class and fair play rank third among the criteria.
This criterion considers a player’s conduct and sportsmanship, including how they behave on the pitch and their respect for opponents, teammates, officials and the rules of the game.
Although listed third, fair play remains part of the official assessment jurors must consider when deciding their rankings.
Who votes for the Ballon d’Or?
France Football’s voting system uses journalists selected according to the FIFA world rankings for the men’s and women’s national teams.
For the men’s award, 100 journalists — one from each country represented in the top 100 of the men’s FIFA rankings — cast their votes.
For the women’s award, 50 journalists — one from each country represented in the top 50 of the women’s FIFA rankings — participate in the voting.
Each juror draws up a ranking of 10 nominees, following the award’s official rules.
The voting process determines the final standings for the men’s and women’s awards, with the winners to be announced at the ceremony on October 26, 2026, in London.
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