Ballon d'Or 2024: All You Need to Know

The Ballon d'Or is an annual football award presented to the player deemed to have performed the best over the previous year

The award is given by France Football and has been awarded since 1956, although the award only became truly global in 2007.

The award is voted for by a panel of journalists from around the world

The journalists vote based on their assessment of the player's individual performance and achievements, as well as their overall contribution to their team's success.

The Ballon d'Or is one of the most prestigious awards in football

It is considered to be the equivalent of the FIFA World Player of the Year award, which is also awarded to the best player in the world.

The 2024 Ballon d'Or will be awarded in December 2024

It will be the 68th edition of the award. The ceremony will be held in Paris, France.

The current holder of the Ballon d'Or is Karim Benzema

He won the award in 2022 after a stellar season with Real Madrid, in which he helped the club win the Champions League and La Liga.

The favorite to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or is Lionel Messi

Messi is a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner and is considered to be one of the greatest players of all time. He has had a strong start to the 2023-24 season with Paris Saint-Germain, scoring 16 goals in 20 appearances.

Other contenders for the 2024 Ballon d'Or include Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Kevin De Bruyne

Mbappé is a two-time World Cup winner with France and has been in excellent form for Paris Saint-Germain this season, scoring 20 goals in 23 appearances. Haaland is one of the most exciting young players in the world and has scored 27 goals in 20 appearances for Manchester City this season. De Bruyne is a key player for Manchester City and has been one of the best midfielders in the world for several years.

The 2024 Ballon d'Or is shaping up to be a very competitive race

There are a number of players in contention for the award, and it is difficult to predict who will ultimately win. The winner will be announced in December 2024.