From Novak Djokovic to bad scheduling, women get more disrespect than celebration at Ballon d'Or ceremony

On a select evening in autumn, France Football Paris host the the glitziest night of football.

Players, coaches and VIPS from clubs around the world attend the event in Paris to honour the recipients of the Ballon d'Or and the Ballon d'Or Féminin, given to the men's and women's player of the year, respectively. 

The outfits are outstanding and the talent is overflowing. I still remember Inter Miami FC's Leo Messi conquered the event in 2021 in a sequined blazer matching his three young sons.

France Football magazine, which sponsors the awards, only offered a women's category five years ago. Prior to that women were only on site as presenters or dates. The inclusion of women players on the grand stage is important nonetheless, and the awards are nothing to scoff at. The Ballon d'Or awards are decided by journalists in the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries for men, 50 for women, from a list of nominees.  

I am not a voting member of the Ballon d'Or because if I had any influence with France Football I would be vocal about the timing of the award ceremony. It falls directly during the FIFA international window, and a vast majority of the players who were nominated (Spain and England dominating the nomination list) did not attend the ceremony.

Beyond disappointing that the <a href="https://twitter.com/ballondor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ballondor</a> was held during a women’s international break making it pretty impossible for most of the nominees to even attend. Do better!

Spanish midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the prestigious award and it was well deserved. She not only hoisted the World Cup trophy this past summer with Spain, but also took home the Golden Ball as top player in the tournament. Her performance was extraordinary and