2026 World Cup: Ballon d’Or organizers releases statement on possible winners

The organizers of the Ballon d’Or award have said footballers who play anywhere in the world can win the prize.

Their statement clears up a long-running debate over whether footballers must play for European clubs to stand a realistic chance of winning.

With the race for this year’s Ballon d’Or hotting up as the 2026 World Cup nears its conclusion, the award’s official platform examined whether representing a non-European club is a disadvantage.

History would suggest that Europe remains the dominant pathway to football’s highest individual honour.

An analysis of the last 18 men’s Ballon d’Or winners shows that virtually every recipient was playing for a European club when crowned.

Winners including Kaká, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luka Modrić, Karim Benzema, Rodri and Ousmane Dembélé all played for European clubs, when they were announced winners.

The only exception was in 2023, when Messi took it home, after he had moved to Inter Miami in the MLS.

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

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