Ballon d’Or set for changes after UEFA deal

From next year, football’s most prestigious individual prize, the Ballon d’Or, will be co-organised by UEFA.

The deal comes seven years after a previous partnership between the French organisers of the award and world governing body FIFA ended.

From 2024, the Ballon d’Or awards will be co-organised by UEFA and Groupe Amaury, the publishers of France Football and L’Equipe.

For six seasons from 2010 the award was known as the FIFA Ballon d’Or. But from 2016, FIFA has run its own Best Awards.

This year’s Ballon d’Or was held Monday in Paris with Lionel Messi winning the men’s prize for the eighth time, while Aitana Bonmatí took home her first women’s award.

“UEFA will contribute its football expertise, market the global commercial rights and organize the annual awards gala,” a statement said.

The deal will also see UEFA scrap its own player of the year awards, which have traditionally been handed out in August.