Awarded every year by France Football magazine since Stanley Matthews won it in 1956, the Ballon d’Or for the best player of the year will be given to both a woman and a man on Dec. 3 in Paris. “Women’s soccer is a booming discipline that deserves the same respect as men’s soccer,” Ferre told the AP. The players will be selected by France Football and a panel of international journalists specialized in women’s soccer will vote on a winner. Ferre said most of the female players he spoke with about the new Ballon d’Or have been enthusiastic. The former Real Madrid attacking midfielder who became the first French player to win the Ballon d’Or back in 1958 died last year at 85.

Source: National Post September 24, 2018 09:56 UTC