The FIFA Ballon d’Or has been a very prestigious award in soccer and has been treasured by professional footballers since 1956. In 2010 FIFA and France Football agreed that they will both awarded the trophy together to the best footballer of the year. Ballon d’Or, when translated means ‘The Golden Ball’. But the winners of the prestigious trophy cherish it like the ‘A Ball to be Proud of, or the Ball to be treasured. FIFA instituted its own FIFA Men's World Player of the Year award after 2016.

Thence, France Football has continued to confer the award on footballers who have excelled in their performances over that year. This year, the award ceremony will have one more recipient. A lady footballer! The best woman footballer of the year will also receive an award along with the best among the men. the magazine has clarified that as a move in the right direction when there is a vigorous ongoing debate on why women should be treated on the same basis as men are. that is a welcome development indeed.

There is yet another award, constituted this year and will be announced 3rd December. Called the ‘Trophee Kopa’ in memory of Raymond Kopa, the first footballer to win the Ballon d’Or three times, and died last year, this award will go to the world’s best under-21 football player. Previous winners of the trophy like Platini, Zidane, Christiano, Ronaldinho and others will be the voters who will decide the winner for this award.