The Ballon d'Or is an annual football award presented by French news magazine France Football since 1956 to honour the player deemed to have performed the best over the previous season.
Raymond Kopa was a French professional footballer, integral to the France national team of the 1950s. At club level he was part of the legendary Real Madrid team of the 1950s, winning three European Cups.
The European Golden Shoe, also known as European Golden Boot, is an award that is presented each season to the leading goalscorer in league matches from the top division of a European national league. The trophy is a sculpture of a football boot. From its inception in the 1967–68 season, the award, originally called Soulier d'Or, which translates from French as Golden Shoe or Boot, has been given to the top goalscorer in all European leagues during a season. Since 1997, it has been calculated using a weighting in favour of the highest ranked leagues. Originally presented by L'Équipe newspaper, it has been awarded by the European Sports Media since the 1996–97 season. Lionel Messi has won the award six times, the most out of every winner, all while playing for Barcelona.
Karim Mostafa Benzema is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad. Regarded as one of the best strikers of all time, he is a creative forward known for his technical skills, vision and versatility on the field, Benzema is Real Madrid's all-time second-highest goalscorer and top assist provider. He won 24 trophies with Real Madrid, including four La Liga, three Copa del Rey, and five UEFA Champions League titles.
Robert Lewandowski is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club Barcelona and captains the Poland national team. He is regarded as one of the best players of his generation and as one of the best strikers of all time, as well as one of the most successful players in Bundesliga and Bayern Munich history. He has scored over 600 senior career goals for club and country.
Marco Verratti is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a central-midfielder for Qatar Stars League club Al-Arabi and the Italy national team.
Raphaël Adelino José Guerreiro is a professional footballer who plays as a left-back or midfielder for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Portugal national team.
Kingsley Junior Coman is a French professional footballer who plays as a winger for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the France national team.
Renato Júnior Luz Sanches is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Roma, on loan from Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, and the Portugal national team.
Marcus Lilian Thuram-Ulien is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Inter Milan and the France national team.
Kylian Mbappé Lottin is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the France national team. Regarded as one of the best players in the world, he is known for his dribbling, speed, and finishing.
Aurélien Djani Tchouaméni is a French professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid and the France national team.
Jude Victor William Bellingham is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid and the England national team. In 2023, he won both major awards for male footballers aged under 21: the Golden Boy, for nominees playing in Europe over the last calendar year, and the Kopa Trophy, for the world's best over the previous season. Bellingham is widely considered as one of the best players in the world.
Pedro González López, more commonly known as Pedri, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays primarily as a central midfielder for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team.
The 2022 Ballon d'Or was the 66th annual presentation of the Ballon d'Or, presented by France Football, recognising the best footballers in the world during the 2021–22 season. For the first time in the history of the award, it was given based on the results of the European season, instead of the calendar year. The nominees for the ceremony were announced on 12 August 2022, and the ceremony was held on 17 October. Karim Benzema won the Ballon d'Or, for successfully leading Real Madrid to win both UEFA Champions League and La Liga. Alexia Putellas claimed the Ballon d'Or Féminin, following her successful domestic campaign with Barcelona. In the other award categories, Gavi was given the Kopa Trophy, Thibaut Courtois won the Yashin Trophy, Robert Lewandowski was presented the newly named Gerd Müller Trophy, Sadio Mané was awarded the inaugural Sócrates Award, and Manchester City claimed the Club of the Year award.
The 2023 Ballon d'Or was the 67th annual ceremony of the Ballon d'Or, presented by France Football magazine, recognising the best footballers in the world in the 2022–23 season. For the second time in the history of the award, it was given based on the results of the season instead of the calendar year, with the season starting on 1 August 2022 and ending 31 July 2023. The nominees were announced on 6 September 2023 and the ceremony took place on 30 October 2023.
The Golden Girl is an award that is given by sports journalists to a young female footballer playing in Europe perceived to have been the most impressive during a calendar year. All nominees must be under the age of 21 and play in a European nation's top tier. The 2023 edition was won by Real Madrid's Linda Caicedo.
Jude Bellingham 
