UEFA has announced that the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony will welcome the introduction of two new awards, thanks to a partnership with Group Amaury.
- UEFA announces the partnership of Group Amaury
- Introducing the Men’s and Women’s Coach Award
- It brings the trophy tally to ten for the 2024 ceremony
WHAT HAPPENED? European football’s governing body announced the deal with the French private media group, which owns companies France Football and L’Equipe, the manufacture. The statement explains that the pair will “co-host the prestigious Ballon d’Or from 2024”, leading to the introduction of a new accolade recognizing the game’s greatest minds.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: UEFA has revealed that, together with Groupe Amaury, it will present a men’s and women’s coach of the year in 2024, which will “recognise the invaluable contribution of coaches to success on the pitch”. This will bring the total number of awards during the ceremony to ten, joining the Men’s Ballon d’Or, Women’s Ballon d’Or, the Kopa Trophy (best under-21 player), the Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper), the Gerd Muller (last season’s top scorer), Men’s Club All-Time Trophy, Women’s Club All-Time Trophy and Socrates Award (for humanitarian work).
WHAT DID THEY SAY?: UEFA president Aleksandr Ceferin told a statement: “For almost 70 years, the Ballon d’Or has stood as the most prestigious individual award in the world of football and is a testament to the extraordinary skill, dedication and impact of legends of the game and their lasting mark on the history of the sport UEFA and the Ballon d’Or are synonymous with sporting excellence, so our partnership will be a natural combination of prominence and a synergy that promises to be nothing short of extraordinary.”
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WHAT’S NEXT? UEFA’s decision to celebrate the game’s best managers mirrors the accolades introduced by FIFA in The Best Awards series. The current holders of this recognition are Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni and England’s Sarina Wiegman.