The French football magazine 'France Football' this year will award the Golden Ball award to both the best player of the year and the best one for women. `Women`s football is a thriving and fast growing discipline and deserves as much respect as male football!', said Pascal Ferre, editor-in-chief of the AP.
The list of 15th contenders for the prize will be announced on October 8th. The voting will be attended by journalists from many countries specializing in women`s football. The award ceremony of the Golden Ball will take place on December 3 in Paris.
In addition, France Football also established a prize for the best young footballer (up to 21 years old) - `Trophy Kopa`. The honor is in honor of former Real Madrid midfielder Raymond Kopa, who was the first French player to win the Golden Ball in 1958. Kopa died in March 2017 at the age of 85. France Football magazine established the Golden Ball award in 1956. The first winner of the aw ard is Stanley Matthews (England). The record-breaking five prizes were won by the Argentine striker Barcelona Lionel Messi and the Portuguese star Juventus Cristiano Ronaldo.
The International Football Federation (FIFA) has been awarded the best football player since 2001.
