In a landmark move for football, this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony will, for the first time, feature an equal number of awards for male and female players, organisers announced on Monday.
The prestigious event, scheduled to take place on 22 September at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, will now include six awards each for men and women. Among the new honours introduced for women are the awards for Best Goalkeeper, Best Young Player, and Top Goalscorer across club and international competitions.
France Football magazine, in collaboration with UEFA, confirmed the changes, marking a significant step towards gender parity in the sport’s most high-profile individual accolades.
In addition to the 12 main awards, the Socrates Award — recognising social impact and solidarity initiatives — will once again be presented and remains open to both male and female recipients.
The list of nominees for all categories will be revealed in early August.
Last year’s ceremony was marred by controversy after Real Madrid boycotted the event in protest over their forward, Vinicius Junior, missing out on the Best Men’s Player award, which was awarded to Manchester City’s Rodri. Organisers will be hoping this year’s more inclusive approach sets a positive tone for the 2025 edition.