Spanish press reports have revealed the adoption of new criteria in the ranking of the Ballon d'Or award for 2026, where greater weight will be given to individual player performance in major matches.

According to what was mentioned by the COPE radio station, the evaluation in the next edition of the award will focus more on the impact of players in big and decisive encounters, whether at the level of continental tournaments or strong matches between major teams.

On the other hand, performance against lower-level teams will not hold the same importance as it did in previous criteria, in a step aimed at highlighting players capable of making a difference in major moments and matches.

The Ballon d'Or is considered one of the most prestigious individual awards in the world of football, awarded annually to the best player in the world based on the votes of a group of specialized journalists.

According to France Football magazine, the organizing body of the award, the winner of the Ballon d'Or is chosen based on a set of criteria, most notably the individual and team performance of the player during the season, the number of titles achieved with his team, in addition to sportsmanship and the player's football career.