‘Possible but harder’: Ballon d’Or says players can win award outside Europe

The Ballon d’Or has dismissed the long-held belief that footballers must play for a European club to win the sport’s most prestigious individual honour, insisting there is no such requirement under the current rules.

In a statement published on Thursday, the award’s organisers addressed one of the most common debates surrounding the prize as attention shifts toward this year’s winner following the FIFA World Cup.

“Every year, a refrain comes back around the Ballon d’Or: the winner will more likely represent a European club,” the statement read.

“But has that always been true? We analysed the data to find out.”

The organisers explained that although the award’s history has been closely tied to European football, eligibility has evolved significantly over the decades.

When the Ballon d’Or was introduced by France Football in 1956, it was awarded only to European players competing in European leagues. In 1995, eligibility expanded to include players of all nationalities, provided they still played in Europe.

However, since 2007, those restrictions have been removed.

“Since 2007, there’s been no restriction: the Ballon d’Or rewards the best player in the world, full stop,” the statement said.

Despite the rule change, history shows that almost every recent winner has represented a European club.

According to the Ballon d’Or, only one of the last 18 men’s winners was playing outside Europe when he collected the award—Lionel Messi in 2023 after joining Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.

The organisers, however, noted that Messi’s case requires context because the award has been judged over a full season rather than a calendar year since 2022. Much of the Argentine’s Ballon d’Or-winning campaign came while he was still at Paris Saint-Germain before moving to the United States.

On the women’s side, Megan Rapinoe became the only Ballon d’Or winner representing a non-European club when she won the award in 2019 while playing for Seattle Reign FC.

While acknowledging Europe’s continued dominance, the organisers said football’s changing landscape means players outside the continent should not be discounted.

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“Yes, it’s entirely possible to win the Ballon d’Or without playing for a European club,” the statement said.

“It just looks harder in light of history, but the growing strength of certain leagues outside Europe are shaking things up.”

The organisers concluded by stressing that the award remains open to players regardless of where they play.

“Nothing is impossible when it comes to the Ballon d’Or. Anyone, regardless of their league, can technically claim it.”