What is Ballon d'Or?
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox award|name=Ballon d'Or|image=|alt=|caption=Ballon d'Or trophy|date={{start date and age|1956}}|country=France|presenter=''[[France Football]]''|year=1956|holder_label=Current holder|holder={{flagicon|ARG}} [[Lionel Messi]]<br>(8th Award)|most_awards={{flagicon|ARG}} [[Lionel Messi]]<br>(8 awards)|most_nominations={{flagicon|POR}} [[Cristiano Ronaldo]]<br>(18 nominations)<ref>{{cite news |title=Ballon d'Or: Players who have received the most nominations |url=https://www.90min.com/posts/ballon-dor-players-who-have-received-most-nominations |access-date=29 November 2021 |work=90min |date=15 November 2021 |archive-date=29 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129222859/https://www.90min.com/posts/ballon-dor-players-who-have-received-most-nominations |url-status=live }}</ref>|website={{URL|https://www.francefootball.fr/ballon-d-or/|francefootball.fr}}|previous=[[2021 Ballon d'Or|2021]]|main=Ballon d'Or|next=[[2022 Ballon d'Or|2022]]}} The '''Ballon d'Or''' is a special award given to a football player every single year. It has been given since 1956 by a French news magazine called ''France Football''. From 2010 to 2015, it was combined with another award called FIFA World Player of the Year, and together they were known as the FIFA Ballon d'Or. However, in 2016, they separated again, and the award returned to its original name, the Ballon d'Or. FIFA also started giving its own separate award called The Best FIFA Men's Player.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/abs/messi-ronaldo-and-the-politics-of-celebrity-elections-voting-for-the-best-soccer-player-in-the-world/36CB5CB44D4C06866305408163A49290 | doi=10.1017/S1537592719002391 | title=Messi, Ronaldo, and the Politics of Celebrity Elections: Voting for the Best Soccer Player in the World | year=2020 | last1=Anderson | first1=Christopher J. | last2=Arrondel | first2=Luc | last3=Blais | first3=André | last4=Daoust | first4=Jean-François |