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The new role UEFA will play in 2024 Ballon d'Or

  • UEFA is set to have a greater involvement in the 2024 Ballon d'or
  • The 2023 ceremony took place on Monday 30 October
  • Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmati won the men's and women's Ballon d'Ors respectively

By Ewan Ross-Murray

The Ballon d'Or is set for some changes in 2024
The Ballon d'Or is set for some changes in 2024 / THOMAS SAMSON / Contributor / Pascal Le Segretain / Staff
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UEFA is set to become a major player in the Ballon d'Or from 2024 onwards, teaming up with French media organisation Groupe Amaury to help organise the prestigious award ceremony.

Lionel Messi scooped an eighth award for best male footballer and Barcelona's World Cup winner Aitana Bonmati took home best female footballer for the first time at the 2023 ceremony.

Jude Bellingham bagged the Kopa Trophy for best player under 21, while Erling Haaland won the Gerd Muller Trophy as the highest-scoring player over the year. Manchester City were named the best men's team after their historic treble-winning campaign as well.

However, the awards are set to change next year, with two new categories and a new role for UEFA.

What will UEFA's role be at the 2024 Ballon d'Or?

Aleksander Ceferin
Aleksander Ceferin and UEFA will be heavily involved next year / Jurij Kodrun/GettyImages

UEFA will co-organise next year's Ballon d'Or alongside Groupe Amaury, the company that owns current event organisers France Football.

The voting system remains unchanged and the Ballon d'Or brand will still be owned by Groupe Amaury, but UEFA will help market the event and provide its "football expertise" to make the the ceremony better than ever.

Speaking about the partnership, UEFA stated: "Together, UEFA and Groupe Amaury aim to enhance the stature and global reach of the awards while fostering a sense of unity and collaboration within the football community."

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin added: "For almost 70 years, the Ballon d'Or has stood as the most prestigious individual accolade in the world of football and is a testament to the extraordinary skill, dedication, and impact of the game's legends and their enduring mark on the sport's history."

What will be different at the 2024 Ballon d'Or?

Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi claimed an eighth Ballon d'Or in late October / Aurelien Meunier/GettyImages

The Ballon d'Or isn't set for a major overhaul despite a change-up in organisation, but there will be two brand new main categories at next year's ceremony.

The new awards will be for the best coaches in both men's and women's football, although these may be awarded to the managers of the teams that win the best men's and women's clubs of the year.

Other than the addition of those two new award categories, there doesn't appear to be plans to introduce any additional features to next year's ceremony, although that could change over the course of the year.

READ MORE ON THE 2023 BALLON D'OR WINNERS

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