In the football world there are two main individual awards that are considered to be the top tier: the Ballon d'Or and FIFA's The Best.


There are a number of differences between the two awards which set the Ballon d'Or and The Best apart from one another.


The magazine France Football is responsible for the Ballon d'Or, while football's world governing body, FIFA, is the driving force behind The Best.


Furthermore, the time period the players are judged within varies.


While the Ballon d'Or takes into account a player's performances over the course of the calendar year, The Best assesses players over the course of a season, so from summer to summer.


As such, they are awarded at different times of the year . The Ballon d'Or award ceremony is traditionally held in December of a given year, whereas The Best awards are given out in autumn - usually September.


They also diverge when it comes to the voting.

The winner of the Ballon d'Or is voted for exclusively by a panel of journalists from across the world. The Best, on the other hand, is decided by what FIFA describes as an "international jury" comprising the coaches and captains of national teams, journalists and fans.


Naturally, the trophies themselves are also different. The Ballon d'Or is a striking golden ball resting on a pyrite base which is made to look like a bed of crystals. FIFA's The Best trophy, meanwhile, is a platinum and carbon construction, which resembles the highest prize in football - the World Cup.


First awarded in 1956, the Ballon d'Or (which is French for Golden Ball) is the older of the two accolades, with The Best first appearing in 2017.

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