Organizers of the Ballon d’Or have addressed concerns regarding the necessity of playing for a European team to secure the trophy. They clarified that although historical data shows a bias toward European leagues, the prize is officially open to any player across the globe.
Established by France Football in 1956, the award initially only considered European players in European leagues. Eligibility rules evolved in 1995 to accept any nationality playing in Europe, and since 2007, the honor has been open to athletes in every league worldwide. Despite this, data from the last 18 years shows that almost every winner played for a European club during their victory year.
Lionel Messi stands as a notable exception; he won the 2023 award while signed to Inter Miami. However, organizers explained that this victory was heavily weighted by his performance at Paris Saint-Germain and his World Cup win with Argentina, rather than his time in the MLS. In the women’s category, Megan Rapinoe made history in 2019 as the only recipient to win while representing an American club, the Seattle Reign FC.
Ultimately, the organizers maintain that no official barriers exist for non-European league players. They acknowledged that while history makes the achievement appear more difficult for outsiders, the rising quality of global leagues means that anyone can theoretically claim the title.
