Women's Ballon d'Or is finally here: France Football announces launch
France Football has announced that it will be launching the Women's Ballon d'Or, for the first time, this year. Awarded first in 1956, Ballon d'Or is considered the most coveted individual honor in football. France Football's editor believes the immense growth of women's football tells it is time for women to have an equal footing in the world of football.
History of the award
Ballon d'Or was first awarded in 1956, and the recipient was Stanley Matthews of the English club Blackpool. Till 1995, non-Europeans were not considered eligible for the award, and George Weah of AC Milan finally broke through in 1995 as the first African and non-European to win the Ballon d'Or. In 1997, Brazilian Ronaldo became the first South American to win the prestigious trophy.
Who have the most number of Ballon d'Ors?
Ronaldo and Messi lead the list of winners of the Ballon d'Or, with five trophies each. Messi is the only player to win the award four times in a row (2009-2012). They are followed by Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff, and Marco van Basten, who have won the award thrice. Only eight players have won the Ballon d'Or, World Cup, and the Champions League.
Comments from France Football's editor-in-chief
France Football's editor-in-chief, Pascal Ferre has opened up regarding the idea behind the new launch. He said, "Women's soccer is a booming discipline that deserves the same respect as men's soccer". Ferre further added that 760 million viewers had tuned in to watch the 2015 Women's World Cup, reflecting the enormous popularity women's football is garnering among fans.
What will be the process of selection?
As per France Football, it will be announcing a list of 15 nominated footballers for the prize. While the nominees will be selected by France Football itself, a panel of international journalists, who are experts in women's football, will be voting for the winner. Interestingly, the jury would be different for women's and men's awards.
