The 발롱도르 (Ballon d'Or) is an annual football award presented by the French magazine France Football. It honors the best male football player in the world, based on their performance over the previous calendar year. The award has been given since 1956 and is considered one of the most prestigious individual accolades in the sport. Initially, the Ballon d'Or was only open to European players, but in 1995, it was expanded to include players from all nationalities. In 2010, it merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year award, creating the FIFA Ballon d'Or, but returned to its original format in 2016.