The difference between The Best FIFA Football Awards and the Ballon d'Or

FIFA's breakaway from France Football means fans now get to 'enjoy' and debate fiercely over the victors of awards at two major annual ceremonies.

The removal of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo from mainstream prominence means awards season is bound to carry more intrigue as we move through the 2020s, but there's no doubt Fabrizio Romano will be on hand to provide spoilers days before the honours are handed out.

Since its inception in 2016, there have been more than a few questions about the role of FIFA's The Best alongside the long-standing and mightily prestigious Ballon d'Or ceremony.

The value and significance of each can be argued for a long time, but it's important to know the difference between the two ceremonies and their respective awards - and there are a few.

1. The prize-giver

The most blatant difference between the two ceremonies is probably the bodies behind them.

While the Ballon d'Or is famously given out by French football publication France Football, The Best is an award handed out by football's global governing body FIFA. The France Football magazine was first published in 1946 and is produced monthly. It's also responsible for crowning the French Footballer of the Year.

FIFA decided to change the way the greatest figures of the sport were rewarded with individual honours in order to put that power into the hands of all stakeholders within the beautiful game.

FIFA did have a brief relationship with France Football after they shelved their World Footballer of the Year award in 2009. The FIFA Ballon d'Or was born in the aftermath, although FIFA followed its own path in 2015, later establishing The Best.

UEFA are now responsible for co-organising the Ballon d'Or ceremony with France Football.

2. When the ceremonies usually take place

The Ballon d'Or is no longer an award that accounts for performances over the course of a calendar year. Since 2022, the prize has been awarded to the best player from the previous season.

As a result, the ceremony is now held in October and the 2024 award will take into account performances which occurred between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024. The international tournament feast we enjoyed over the summer could thus have a bearing on the outcome.

On the contrary, FIFA's The Best ceremonies are held at the start of the new year with the awards accounting for performances over the previous calendar year.

3. The voting

An incredibly important difference between the two awards is also the decision-making process.

The Ballon d'Or is awarded after journalists from each of the 100 highest-ranked FIFA nations cast their votes on players from a 30-man shortlist drawn up by France Football a couple of months before the ceremony takes place. Voters rank their top ten with each place being worth a certain number of points. First-place, for example, garners 15, while a tenth-place vote rewards just a solitary point.

As you'd expect, the player who earns the most points claims the Ballon d'Or.

The voting process of The Best FIFA Football Awards, however, is much more accessible and representative of the entire footballing world.

While media representation is a key factor in voting, so are three other areas. Along with journalists, the coaches of all FIFA-affiliated nations around the world, those nations' captains and, crucially, fans are able to take part in the voting.

Each area is given an identical 25% stake in the eventual decision, making the awards all the more indicative of public opinion. Whoever receives the most scoring points will be crowned the winner.

4. History

While no one should ever be as excited for a player to potentially win the Ballon d'Or as Rio Ferdinand was for Vinicius Junior at the 2024 Champions League final, there's no denying that France Football's award remains football's most illustrious individual prize.

FIFA's The Best has served as a more comprehensive replacement for their World Footballer of the Year award, which was handed out every year between 1991 and 2009, but has only been in operation since 2016. There have been just four different winners of the men's award - Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski, and Luka Modric.

The Ballon d'Or, meanwhile, is approaching its 70th birthday following its 1956 inception. From Stanley Matthews to Messi and everyone in between, we've seen the sport's all-time greats get their hands on the golden ball and none more so than the eight-time winner from Rosario.

READ MORE ON THE 2024 BALLON D'OR NOMINEES & FAVOURITES