This Tuesday, The Best awards will be handed out, honoring the top male and female players in world soccer for 2025. The ceremony takes place just months after the Ballon d’Or was awarded, the sport’s other major individual prize. That timing naturally raises an obvious question: what is the difference between the two awards?
The first major contrast has to do with who organizes each prize. The Best is FIFA’s official award. FIFA is the governing body that oversees all national soccer federations worldwide and is also responsible for organizing some of the sport’s most important tournaments, including the World Cup.
By contrast, the Ballon d’Or was created by France Football magazine, which means it has no official connection to the organization of soccer competitions and tournaments at the global level.
Another difference between the two trophies is the time period each one considers when selecting its winners. While the Ballon d’Or follows the calendar of Europe’s top leagues—generally starting in September and ending the following summer—The Best is based on the calendar year, from January to December.
Ousmane Dembele won the Ballon D’Or 2025.
The voting system of The Best and Ballon d’Or
Perhaps the most significant difference between the two awards is the voting process. France Football awards the Ballon d’Or based solely on a vote by journalists. Each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA men’s soccer rankings is represented by one journalist, and those votes are used to calculate the final results.
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FIFA’s system, on the other hand, is a mixed voting model. The total score used to determine the winners is divided into four equal parts: national team head coaches, national team captains, a panel of media representatives, and fan voting. Each group accounts for 25 percent of the total score, and the final results are calculated by combining all four components.
FIFA and France Football once shared an award
The Ballon d’Or holds a clear advantage over The Best when it comes to history. France Football created the award in 1956, and it has only grown in prestige and global recognition ever since. FIFA’s trophy, by comparison, is much newer, having been introduced in its current name and format in 2016.
However, there was a period when both awards were combined into one. In 2010, FIFA and France Football reached an agreement to merge their annual ceremonies and created the FIFA Ballon d’Or. That partnership lasted just six years, through the 2015 ceremony. After that, FIFA launched The Best, while the Ballon d’Or returned to its traditional format under the sole organization of France Football.
Ballon d’Or and The Best share the same dominant figure
Despite their differences, the Ballon d’Or and The Best share one major similarity: both have been dominated by the same player. Lionel Messi is the most decorated winner in the history of both awards, with eight Ballon d’Or trophies awarded by France Football and three The Best honors from FIFA. Notably, he won four of the six editions that were jointly organized.
The player with the second-most trophies is also the same in both awards: Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star won the Ballon d’Or five times and The Best twice. In the latter, he shares that distinction with Robert Lewandowski.
