France Football announced it will award a Ballon d'Or for the best woman footballer in the world this year. Originally created in '56 by the publication, the Ballon d'Or was reserved for the best European male footballer. In '95 the candidate pool was broadened to any player playing for a European club. The pool was then widened to the entire world in '07. In its announcement, France Football said that the decision to include women was a logical evolution. The boom is reflected in several well-structured women's clubs like Olympique Lyonnais, Wolfsburg, Paris St. Germain and Man City, as well as the number of registered players (more than 5 million worldwide) and TV audiences (764 million viewers watched the 2015 Women's World Cup). OL and France national women's team captain Wendie Renard said, "It is a step forward, women's football is evolving, and inequalities are shrinking even though there is still room for improvement." Brazilian int'l Marta said, "I've always wanted to see a woman receive this prestigious prize. It is a step toward more equality." France Football's Ballon d'Or ceremony will be held on Dec. 3 in Paris (France Football). BLEACHER REPORT's Gianni Verschueren reported FIFA held its The Best award ceremony on Monday. The Best and the Ballon d'Or awards were combined from '10 until '15, when France Football "returned to presenting the award on its own." FIFA in turn created The Best in '16 and "included several new categories including a women's award, trophies for the best men's and women's coaches and a fan award" (BLEACHER REPORT, 9/24).
