This year's ceremony is edging nearer and nearer – so how does the voting process work, and how do nominees for the award get selected?
This year's Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on December 3, and Real Madrid and Croatia captain Luka Modric is a strong favourite to break the hold so usually kept by perennial winners Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
For the first time in 10 years, a non-Messi or Ronaldo player is in strong contention to be honoured as the best player in world football.
But just how does the selection process for choosing a Ballon d'Or winner work, and how does the voting procedure take place? Goal takes a look.
What is the selection process for the Ballon d'Or?
The initial shortlist consisting of 30 names in contention for the Ballon d'Or is assembled by the editorial team at France Football, a French weekly football publication that is one of the most respected publications within the game.
Following the compilation of the 30-man shortlist, a jury of journalists representing a variety of footballing nations is put together, and they will then be given the task of voting for the players they deem worthy of first, second and third place.
Who made the 30-man Ballon d'Or 2018 shortlist?
Real Madrid are the best-represented in this year's shortlist with eight players nominated (though Thibaut Courtois will be considered based on his performances at Chelsea), while Liverpool have four players in the running.
Luka Modric is a strong favourite to be named as winner of the Ballon d'Or this year following his success at the FIFA Best Awards, with the Croatia due to break the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo duality for the first time in 10 years.
Men’s award nominees are as follows: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Alisson Becker (Liverpool), Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Edinson Cavani (PSG), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Isco (Real Madrid), Harry Kane (Tottenham), N’golo Kante (Chelsea), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Mario Mandzukic (Juventus), Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Neymar (PSG), Jan Oblak (Atlético Madrid), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Luis Suarez (Barcelona), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid).
What is the voting process for the Ballon d'Or?
After the jury has been selected, they will then choose their top five players from within the 30-man shortlist and then proceed to rank them based on descending order of merit.
The rules and regulations that the jury will need to follow to choose and rank their top five selections are below:
1. Individual and collective performances (winners) during the year.2. Player class (talent and fair play).3. Overall judgment of the player's career.
The top-ranking player from each journalist's selection will receive six points, with the second-ranking player earning four points, then three, two and one going down from the rest of their top five picks.
How is a winner chosen for the Ballon d'Or?
After each jury member has selected their top five players for the Ballon d'Or award, the total points are calculated and added, and the player to receive the most number of points will be awarded the top honour.
In the event of a tie for first place, however, the players are determined by the number of times they are voted in first place. If the tie still stands, then the tie-breaker will consider the number of votes for second place, and then by the number of votes for third place.
If the tie continues, then a new ballot is organised to select a winner between the tied players.
If, after all of this, a winner is still unable to be named, then the France Football editorial director – as chairman of the jury – will be called upon to make an ultimate decision.
YouKnowZlatan
551
Cristiano Ronaldo deserves this year's Ballon d'Or! This is a robbery! CR7 is the GOAT
hipenorsy
406
modric, Varane, Griezmann, Mbappe have one break out year and everyone goes nuts. Cr7 and Messi do it every year and I know it's boring but there is no equal to their class.
deshan
382
Messi deserves it. No doubt about that. No anyone can be close to him.This Ballon'dor Jury have mentally upset if things happening like this.. Everyone know very well The Barça and Jeve duo deserve in to Podium.Anybody are there can explain me how Varane came to the Shortlist, and How Modric deserves it therefore he had perform in WC.although,he had display some quality but it's not enough to lift Ballon'dor Trophy. That's shame, bullshit.
SoccerSmarts
288
No Messi or CR7 is insane. One good season for a few smaller talents and messi and cr7 get thrown out the window. No. not. ok. These are the GOAT's we are talking about. Modric is good but compared to Messi and Ronaldo he stands no chance as of now.
Bahrsz
246
the king is CR7 ...👑👑👑👑👑👑👑 he has the class player ...
Hokceiknuz
235
Last year they gave the Ballon D’or to CR7 out of pitty, so the Era of him and the GOAT Messi will be forever a talk between the fans of both player plus the media as well will have a subject to bring & talk about “ who was the best “ and they keep talking & writing .. this year if anyone should get the Ballon is Varan, Mbapi or griezman those players brought the World Cup to their country & played hard NOT Modric who ALMOST was the reason to lose to Russia when he missed the penalty kick ..
RealMd13
232
He FINALLY won the Ballon Dor after all hIs hard work he DID for Real and CROATIA at the world cup and hope there Is more to come from Luka MODRIC Just AMAZING to watch thIs wonderful and humble player Every SINGLe week ONE SEASON THATs ALL ITs took 🔥 World Cup golden ball ⚽️ ✔️ Uefa best player ✔️ FIFA best player ✔️ Uefa best IX ✔️ Ballon dOr ✔️
braziljr
222
WHY IS HE NOT INCLUDED
cjaims
192
Balon d'or has become a personal property to these two men and they keep on showing us why they deserve it....seems France wants to play favourite because they have separated from FIFA but no matter,in our hearts,these two more than deserve balon d'or.
EminenceBASIT
168
With this kind of shame to unlock balloon d'or,everyone will feel they have the right to have the award with less performance..It has been clearly state that this award is not based on team achievement after cannavaro won it in 2006 but personal performance can win you the award but the rule change this year..After the world cup,none of the 3 nominees fail to keep their ability to earn this award but the duo did..This award is something else..They both have goals and assists than the 3 nominees..so,,what are the stupid consideration to earn the accolade..If they want to talk of fair play,they are no where to be found around Messi..This one is bygone but the next year should be really base on personal performance..
TheDogVet
167
Mbappé deserves the Ballon d'Or more than any player on the 30 man shortlist. He had an amazing World Cup this summer( He scored multiple goals, even one in the final against Croatia) He is PSG’s best player, working as a team while players like Neymar and Cavani only seek personal glory. His career in football may be short but it is phenomenal. After all, the Golden Boy award deemed him to have moved to a higher level of play and thus should not receive the award a second time. If he is not to revive the Golden Boy, the Ballon d'Or is the next step. Messi and Ronaldo have both won it five times and surmounted to greatness, so if Kylian Mbappé wins the award, it will show him as who he really is... the next Messi.
miffey10
155
but still u haven't explained why their is no Messi or Ronaldo. okay they might have been knocked out of the world cup the same day but I still hink Leo had the better season. infact if u look at the laliga table u can see that leo was laliga top scorer, laliga champion, Copa del Rey, super Copa he also had the most assists and key passes this season. he had the most assists and the most take ons complete then why is he not atleast among the top 3??? what about his awesome performance in the champions League tie against Chelsea? just because modric made it to the finals of the wc does not mean he should win. did he win the laliga? no did he win the Copa del Rey? no. on top of that he is not even the top scorer in any League he played? Did not score in the ucl finals. and as for Ronaldo, he had an amazing ucl, better than any player infact. his goal against juve, not just the goal also his overall performance. he was amazing at the world cup too so why, why aren't they both included???
Feubeprsy
146
in 2017/18 season Messi have more goal, assist, dribble ,chance creation,individual awards than top 3 of fifa the best. but, Messi no champions league thus he removed its wrong Messi deserves ballon dor
Ndalakation
132
They say that the rules and regulations that the jury will need to follow to choose and rank their top five selections are below: 1. Individual and collective performances (winners) during the year.2. Player class (talent and fair play).3. Overall judgment of the player's career.... So according to this: "Did Modric perform well better than Messi and CR7?" Noooooooo
braziljr
101
This proves Ronaldo and messi dont want each other to win ballon dor
whykallar
90
I just notice that, the Ballon d'Or has something to do with favoritism, in short the Ballon d'Or(FIFA) must decide some how, If not, then i think every journalists selected for the voting, must remain in that room and see every votes results until the person that is going to be elected for the Ballon d'Or is find, my meaning is, before the journalists step out of the pool/election room, they should first see and know the winner, if it doesn't happen in the present of the journalists, means it got favoritism/cheating, My views.
shariffeyyulegunshot
10
The best player to deserve ballondór is to