Ballon d'Or Preview

December is awards season in the football world, with the FIFA World Player of the Year following hot on the heels of December 1st's Ballon d'Or prize.

For some, the latter is the biggest award of them all. Originated by France Football in 1955 to commemorate the European Footballer of the Year, the Ballon d'Or has since grown to encompass the entire planet.

Voted for by a panel of journalists from across the world, this award has been held up by plenty of famous names in the past, ranging from Stanley Matthews - the first winner, back in 1956 - to Alfredo di Stefano, to George Best, to Franz Beckenbauer, Dino Zoff, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Pavel Nedved, Roonaldinho, Kaka-- well, you get the picture.

Last year's winner, Cristiano Ronaldo (profile), is currently thought to be second-favourite to retain his prize. Ahead of him in the pecking order is Lionel Messi (profile), injury-free and fresh from winning the treble with Barcelona.


The Lowdown

30 nominees were listed by the editor of France Football earlier in the year. A panel of worldwide journalists were then asked to pick five of these. The panel are to select their players based on four criteria.:

• The player's individual and team performance during the year - that is to say, a player who plays well for a side that wins trophies is more likely to win than one who plays well for a mid-table outfit
• The player's ability to conduct himself with class - emphasising fair play as well as ability
• The trajectory of their career so far
• And their off the pitch personality.
  

To these five, the voter gives a ranking. The top pick gets five points, the second pick four, and so on. Whoever gains the most points overall wins the Ballon d'Or.

From the current list of 30 Ballon d'Or nominees, the final ten as voted for will be announced at 11:00 CET (10:00am GMT) on the morning of Sunday November 29th. Stay tuned to Goal.com to see the finalists as soon as they are confirmed.

Then, on the evening of Tuesday December 1st, the final winner will be announced.

Finally, on the evening of Sunday December 6th, the official handover ceremony takes place.

(It might be worth noting that Barcelona play on Saturday...)

Steve Michaels, Goal.com

Remember to check out our player profiles for all 30 Ballon d'Or nominees!