The "Golden Ball," or Ballon d'Or, is an annual football award presented by France Football. It honors the best male football player in the world, based on votes from a panel of international journalists. The award has been given since 1956 and is considered one of the most prestigious individual accolades in the sport. In 2010, the Golden Ball merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year award, creating the FIFA Ballon d'Or, but this partnership ended in 2016. Since then, the Golden Ball has returned to its original format, celebrating outstanding performances in club and international football each year.