How FIFA’s quest for a new trophy ceremony reshaped the world’s top football award
In short: Since 2016, The Best FIFA Men's Player has stood as the governing body's premier annual honor. Yet, its origins are tied to a complex history of mergers, broken partnerships, and a strategic shift in location. Behind the trophy lies a tale of international football politics and evolving voting systems.
The award’s current iteration emerged after the dissolution of a six-year partnership between FIFA and France Football. From 2010 to 2015, the two organizations collaborated on the FIFA Ballon d'Or, a merger that cost FIFA £13 million. During this period, the award was defined by the intense rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who dominated every edition. This era followed the original FIFA World Player of the Year, which had recognized the sport's elite from 1991 until 2009.
The split in 2016 occurred amid reports that FIFA sought to repair its strained relationship with England's Football Association. Gianni Infantino, the newly appointed FIFA president, reportedly desired to relocate the annual ceremony from its traditional home in Zürich to London. By ending the partnership, FIFA reclaimed control over its own player recognition, resurrecting the award under its current title while the Ballon d'Or returned to being decided exclusively by journalists.
Today, the selection process for The Best FIFA Men's Player is designed to be inclusive, balancing sporting performance with general conduct both on and off the pitch. The voting structure is divided into four equal parts, with media representatives, national team coaches, national team captains, and the general public each holding 25% of the total vote. This democratic approach, introduced in October 2016, ensures that the final decision reflects a broad consensus across the footballing world.
The physical trophy itself is a product of artistic collaboration, designed by Croatian artist Ana Barbić Katičić. It serves as a tangible symbol of the award's prestige, representing the pinnacle of individual achievement in association football. While the history of the award is marked by administrative shifts and organizational changes, the core mission remains to honor the player who demonstrated the most exceptional performance throughout the previous calendar year.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Best FIFA Men's Player
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