European Footballer of the Year

European Footballer of the Year
Name	European Footballer of the Year
Sport	Association football
Given for	Best European footballer of the previous calendar year
Presenter	France Football
Most recent	Lionel Messi

European Footballer of the Year. Also known as the Ballon d'Or, it was an annual football award presented by the French magazine France Football to the player deemed the best in Europe. First awarded in 1956, it was widely regarded as the most prestigious individual honor in European football until its merger with the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2010. The award's history chronicles the evolution of the sport, celebrating legends from Stanley Matthews to Lionel Messi.

History and background

The award was conceived in 1956 by Gabriel Hanot, the editor of *France Football*, with the initial aim of determining the continent's premier player. The first recipient was English winger Stanley Matthews of Blackpool F.C., setting a precedent for recognizing excellence across European leagues. For decades, it remained a prize exclusively for European players at European clubs, a rule that reflected the footballing landscape of the time and was upheld by a jury of sports journalists from across the continent. This exclusivity began to shift in 1995, when the eligibility was expanded to include all players active at European clubs regardless of nationality, a change first benefiting George Weah of AC Milan and Liberia. The award's independent history concluded in 2009, after which it was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year to create the FIFA Ballon d'Or.

Award process and criteria

The winner was selected through a poll of international sports journalists, with each voter from a participating European nation submitting a list of their top five players. Points were allocated on a sliding scale, with the first-choice selection receiving the most points. The criteria for selection were based primarily on individual performance and personal achievements during the previous calendar year, though team success in competitions like the UEFA Champions League or FIFA World Cup often heavily influenced voting. The process was administered solely by the editorial staff of *France Football*, which ensured the award's independence from governing bodies like UEFA or FIFA for most of its existence.

Winners and statistics

The list of winners forms a pantheon of football greatness, spanning eras and styles. Early winners included iconic figures like Alfredo Di Stéfano of Real Madrid and the Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin. The 1970s were dominated by German stars Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller, while the 1980s saw the rise of French maestro Michel Platini. Later eras were defined by stellar attackers such as Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, and Andriy Shevchenko. The final standalone winner in 2009 was Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona, who edged out his teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Geographically, players from Western Europe, particularly from nations like Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Italy, have been most frequently honored.

Multiple winners

Only a select group of players have won the award more than twice, cementing their status as all-time greats. Dutch forwards Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten each won three times, with Cruyff's triumphs coming with Ajax Amsterdam and FC Barcelona, and van Basten's with AC Milan. French playmaker Michel Platini also secured three consecutive victories from 1983 to 1985 while playing for Juventus. Two-time winners include legendary names such as Franz Beckenbauer, Kevin Keegan, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and in the modern era, Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Relation to other awards

For much of its history, it was considered the direct counterpart and often superior rival to the FIFA World Player of the Year award, established in 1991. The two honors frequently crowned the same player, as seen with Ronaldo in 1997 and 2002, but occasional splits, like in 2000 when Luís Figo won this award while Zinedine Zidane won the FIFA award, sparked debate. It also served as the inspiration for other continental awards, such as the African Footballer of the Year and the South American Footballer of the Year. Its merger with the FIFA prize in 2010 created the unified FIFA Ballon d'Or, which lasted until 2015 before *France Football* reinstated its own award.

Legacy and significance

The award's legacy is immense, as it established the definitive annual benchmark for individual footballing excellence for over half a century. It chronicled the rise of European club football's prestige, particularly through the UEFA Champions League, and its winners' list is a primary reference for historical player rankings. The iconic golden ball trophy itself became a symbol of ultimate achievement, akin to an Oscar in football. While its format evolved, its foundational principle—awarded by journalists based on a full year's performance—left a permanent imprint on how footballing greatness is measured and celebrated globally.

Category:Association football awards Category:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2009 Category:Sports trophies and awards