The excitement for the 2024 Ballon d’Or is palpable. In just a few hours, the winner of this prestigious award will be revealed. With the entire soccer world crossing its fingers to see their favorite star take home the trophy, France Football may have already chosen the winners. But even if they have, this raises the question: What exactly is the eligibility window for the Ballon d’Or?

Now, you would say; of course, by looking at the achievements of last season. However, the specific time frame from which the player’s individual or domestic achievements are counted is the question here. To address this, it’s important to note that the Ballon d’Or voting process has been slightly adjusted by its organizer, France Football magazine, since 2022. Previously, journalists made their selections based on a player’s performance from January to December of the previous year, with consideration also given to career achievements.

Now, however, the voting focuses primarily on individual performances over a single European season, spanning from August to July. Additionally, other factors such as the success of the player’s team on both domestic and international levels, as well as fair play and behavior on the field, are also factored into the decision-making process. This updated system ensures a balanced evaluation of all nominated players, leading to a fair decision for the award.

As for who selects the winners, it is a panel composed of leading journalists from FIFA’s top 100 ranked member nations for the men’s category and the top 50 for the women’s. Journalists rank their top five players, awarding points based on each player’s placement: first place earns six points, second place four, third place three, fourth place two, and fifth place one.

The player who accumulates the most points from all votes is then named that year’s Ballon d’Or winner. While this is the eligibility criteria for the Ballon d’Or Men’s and Feminine category, what about other individual awards?

Ballon d’Or 2024: Are the criteria the same for the other awards?

In short, yes, the same criteria apply to the other individual awards, where last year’s performances, statistics, and additional factors are assessed to determine the most deserving winner. Starting with the Kopa Trophy, this award goes to the best young player, with numerous rising stars in contention. Next is the Yashin Trophy, awarded to the top goalkeeper of the year, while the Gerd Müller Trophy follows, honoring the year’s highest goal scorer.

An interesting addition is the Socrates Award, presented to the player who has made outstanding humanitarian contributions through philanthropy. In the individual awards lineup, there’s also a Coach of the Year award for both men’s and women’s categories. As for the collective honor – Club of the Year, it recognizes the best-performing club.

What’s your take on the eligibility standards of Ballon d’Or and others? Share in the comments below.