Ballon d'Or Process Changes

FIFA’s rule of the Ballon d’Or ends as their five year agreement with France Football magazine comes to an end. The magazine is set to take back control and shake up the process in which the winner is selected.

In the current set up both coaches and players are allowed to vote, and this will be one of the things coming to an end as the magazine wants to return the votes back to the press. Journalists from around at the globe will take part in the voting process.

"We can infer that the award will be more impartial as journalists do not have to take into account their friends or the atmosphere of their dressing room," wrote France Football on the matter.

- MARCA

Also as part of this revamp of the award, the winner will be awarded the trophy in the same calendar year, as apposed to January in the next year, when the event was previously held. Also of note is that the player pool will be expanded from 23 to 30.

The Ballon d’Or has been awarded since 1954 and now that FIFA’s five year deal has come to an end, the magazine can return to making it their prize to award.