This is the Oscars of soccer. Every year, the Ballon d’Ors (or Gold Balls) are presented to the world’s best soccer players. The awards are presented by France Football in conjunction with the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations). This year, the 67th Ballon d’Ors took place on October 30th in Paris. Eight awards were distributed.
Ballon d’Or:
The Ballon d’Or is the MVP. The top 3 nominees were Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappé. Lionel Messi won his 8th Ballon d’Or, the most prestigious award a soccer player can earn. With his win, Messi increased his lead over Cristia-
no Ronaldo (5) for most trophies by a player of all time.
Ballon d’Or Féminin:
The top 3 nominees were Aitana Bonmatí, Sam Kerr, and Salma Paralluelo. Bonmatí won the award for the first time beating her twenty-nine other competitors.
Kopra Trophy:
The Kopra Trophy is awarded to the player who appeared for the most clubs in a single season, to Real Madrid’s center-midfielder Jude Bellingham.
Yashin Trophy:
The Yashin Trophy is presented to the best goalkeeper. The top 3 nominees were Emiliano Martínez, Ederson, and Yassine Bounou. Martínez won the award by beating 2nd place Ederson by just under 100 points.
Gerd Müller Trophy:
The Gerd Müller Trophy acknowledges the best striker. This year, the top 3 nominees were Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, and Harry Kane. Haaland just edged out Mbappé to win his first trophy.
Sócrates Award:
The Sócrates Award goes to the player who dedicates a significant amount of time to their community. Real Madrid’s left-wing Vinícus Júnior unanimously won the award, his first Sócrates Award.
Men’s Club of the Year:
This year’s Men Club of the Year was unanimously voted to Manchester City for having seven of the thirty nominees for the Ballon d’Or, one of the ten nominees for the Yashin Trophy, the winner of the Gerd Müller Trophy, and of course for topping
the UEFA Champions League for the fourth time in club history.
Women’s Club of the Year:
This year’s Women’s Club of the Year was FC Barcelona for having six of the twenty-nine nominees for the Ballon d’Or Féminin, and of course for winning the women’s UEFA Champions League.
This year’s Ballon d’Ors contained some surprises and confirmed some long-held expectations.
