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While the Ballon d'Or itself has been presented in varying circumstances over the years, the core principle at its heart has remained unchanged. Ever since Sir Stanley Matthews became the inaugural winner in 1956, right up to Lionel Messi receiving the 2023 prize on Monday, being handed the golden ball is regarded as the most prestigious individual honour available in football.
Originally, only players from Europe were eligible to win the Ballon d'Or (when it was commonly referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award) and the judging panel assembled by French magazine France Football, the founders of the award, consisted solely of journalists.