Ballon d'Or set for radical shake-up after Messi and women's award criticism

03 November 2023 , 11:24

1028     0

Lionel Messi won the eighth Ballon d'Or of his career on Monday (Image: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

UEFA will co-organise the prestigious Ballon d'Or awards from next year following widespread criticism of the 2023 ceremony.

The latest edition, held in Paris on Monday night, saw Lionel Messi win the men's award for a record eighth time after finishing ahead of forwards Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.

Spain and Barcelona star Aitana Bonmati claimed the women's prize - officially known as the Ballon d'Or Feminin - for the first time, holding off competition from the likes of Chelsea's Sam Kerr and her Barcelona team-mate, teenager Salma Paralluelo. But organisers Groupe Amaury, which publishes France Football and L’Equipe, faced criticism in the aftermath.

Messi's latest triumph was labelled "disgraceful" by Paris Saint-Germain legend Jerome Rothen, who believed the Argentine World Cup winner should not have finished above Haaland saying: "From August 2022 to June 2023, what criteria lead us to say that Leo Messi is above the others? There's hardly any criterion where he's number one. If we look at his record he's inferior to Haaland."

The women's award saw Bonmati presented with her title by male tennis star Novak Djokovic, which drew heat on social media due to his previous comments dismissing the notion of equal pay in his own sport, albeit a stance he has since had a change of heart on. In addition, after her name was announced the Spanish star was left standing awkwardly for a few seconds before the trophy was eventually brought on.

Chelsea winners and losers from record transfer window as more changes to come

A number of female nominees weren't even able to attend the ceremony as it was scheduled directly in the middle of a women's international break. This included four England players, who instead prepared for their UEFA Nations League match with Belgium.

This led to Scotland and Arsenal star Jen Beattie criticising the glitzy ceremony on Twitter, questioning the scheduling. Beattie posted: "Beyond disappointing that the Ballon d'Or was held during a women’s international break making it pretty impossible for most of the nominees to even attend. Do better!"

But only days after the event, it has been announced that UEFA will co-organise the ceremony from next year. “UEFA will contribute its football expertise, market the global commercial rights and organise the annual awards gala,” a UEFA statement read.

"Together, UEFA and Groupe Amaury aim to enhance the stature and global reach of the awards while fostering a sense of unity and collaboration within the football community."

Changes have already been made to the format after the announcement on UEFA's involvement. The relaunch will add new awards for the best coaches in men’s and women’s soccer, although there are no plans yet for a women's goalkeeper award or young player award. The best young players on the men's side are nominated for the Kopa Trophy, won this year by England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham.

It is not the first time Ballon d'Or has gone into partnership with a major football governing body. For six seasons from 2010 the award was known as the FIFA Ballon d’Or, and ceremonies were held in the world governing body’s home city Zurich.

But a split in 2016 led to the creation of FIFA's Best Awards, where Mary Earps was claimed the Best Goalkeeper award last year. The Ballon d'Or was first awarded in 1956, after its inception by French magazine France Football.

This year was not the first time organisation of the ceremony has drawn criticism, particularly regarding the women's award, which was first created in 2016. Beattie's Arsenal team-mate Beth Mead, who finished in second place last year, later criticised the ceremony, saying the women's gong felt like a "tick box" event.

Barcelona's Spanish midfielder Aitana Bonmati receives the Women's Ballon d'Or award (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

What are your thoughts on UEFA running the Ballon d'Or? Share your response in the comments below

"I thought the Ballon d'Or was a token Ballon d’Or for women's football and that’s all it was," she later said. "The set-up wasn’t great. Alexia (Putellas, the winner) went up, they asked her a couple of questions and off she went.

Earps reacts to FIFA Best nomination and on season so far with Man Utd

"They did three or four awards between the female Ballon d'Or and the men's Ballon d'Or. In between that they did (Robert) Lewandowski top scorer, goalkeeper of the year, no female goalkeeper of the year, and a community award.

“Then at the end it was (Karim) Benzema who won. His full family was on stage taking pictures with him, all the journalists, and Alexia was sat on the front seat as if she wasn’t even there.

"(The Ballon d’Or) is such a prestigious award. But then it was a tick box to have women there but they weren’t doing it right. The FIFA Best, they did everything aligned. They did it all together so it was so much better."

The new deal will also see UEFA scrap its own player of the year awards, which have traditionally been handed out in August

Jack Lacey-Hatton