Who decides who wins the Ballon d'Or?

The Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious individual honour in football.

Since first being handed out in 1956, it's seen as the almost undisputed signifier of who the best player in the world is, let alone which one had the best year.

But who decides the winner of the Ballon d'Or? How is it voted and decided upon?

Here's all you need to know.

Who decides who wins the Ballon d'Or?

France Football, a French footballing publication (original name, right?), are the masterminds behind the Ballon d'Or.

The editorial team at France Football decide on an initial 30-player shortlist for the Ballon d'Or. Once that list has been decided upon, France Football then enlist a panel of journalists - usually one per nation - to make selections for a top five. Six points are given to their first place vote, four for second, three for third, two for fourth and one for fifth. These points are then tallied to determine the final rankings.

While the Ballon d'Or tends to be awarded to who's had the best year (and from 2021/22 onwards, the best season), there's actually three specific criteria that journalists vote for players on - individual and collective performances, fair play and overall judgement of their career.

Can the Ballon d'Or be shared?

Due to this voting system, it is possible for players to tie for first place.

However, there are several tiebreaker criteria in place to ensure a singular winner is named.

The first tiebreaker is which player received the highest number of first-place votes. If this number is the same, then it rolls over to the number of second-place votes and then third-place votes.

If two or more players are still tied for first after that, then a new ballot is organised among the panel to choose between these players.

If there is still a deadlock, then France Football's editorial director will decide upon the winner as they are the chairman of the jury.