Full Ballon d’Or Betting Guide: The Top Online Ballon d’Or Bookmakers
The Ballon d’Or is one of the most prestigious awards in sports, with punters putting wagers each year on who they believe will be Europe’s Best Footballer. Our guide explains Ballon d’Or betting, looks at the best Ballon d’Or odds and the best places to bet on the winners. Here are our top 5 licensed Ballon d’Or bookies, ranked:
| Ballon d’Or Betting Site | Bonus | Highlights | Rating | Bonus Link: | T&C’s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 BetTarget | Bet £10 Get £15 In Free Bets | 44+, 89.45% | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! New customers only. Max one £15 free bet. Qualifying bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater. Paid as bonus token with min 4/5 odds req. Skrill, Neteller, & PayPal not eligible. | |
| 🥈 bet365 | Bet £10 Get £50 In Free Bets | 40+, 88.78% | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! Open Account Offer. New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you five times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration Required | |
| 🥉 Spreadex | Up to £35 In Free Bets | 38+, 88.74% | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! Place a £25 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2. Get 5 x £5 free fixed odds bets + 2 x £5 free Total Goals spread bets. Spread betting losses can exceed deposit. 18+ begambleaware.org | |
| ⭐ Betiton | Up to £30 In Free Bets | 32+, 90.12% | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! 18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit,: £10, max £10 free bet valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets not eligible. Neteller,Skrill and Paypal not eligible. | |
| ⭐ MrMega | Up to £30 In Free Bets | 30+, 87.82% | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! 18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit,: £10, max £10 free bet valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets not eligible. Neteller,Skrill and Paypal not eligible. |
Each site has a different payout rate – this is normal for online betting sites. We’ll get into the Ballon d’Or odds a bit later, but the higher the payout, the better. You can also choose a site based on its welcome package, provided you haven’t made an account yet.
Bookmakers also have different areas they excel at. Some have great welcome bonuses, while others may concentrate on offering the most markets. The best site for you ultimately comes down to personal preference. To help with your search, here are the best Ballon d’Or betting sites per category:
If you’re not sure what your preference is, have a look around all the sites until you find one you like. We also recommend having loaded accounts at multiple bookmakers, so you can shop around for the absolute best bookmaker odds. Simply click on the links to visit our recommended bookies.
Discover the bookies with the best payouts
Types of bets available
The top offers to rely on
For betting on Ballon d’Or
How the show works
Frequently asked questions
While each year technically presents bettors with a new slate, certain footballers dominate the voting year in and year out. In the next sections, we’ll cover how Ballon d’Or odds are presented, which bookmakers are the best for specific features, and the familiar faces at Ballon d’Or betting sites.
Finding the Best Ballon d’Or Odds 2024
A very important thing to consider when selecting a site for Ballon d’Or betting are the odds. The odds on the winner fluctuate over time, and are impacted by player performance, betting volume and other factors. Here are the Ballon d’Or odds 2024 to win the award:
| Player | Odds | Recommended Betting Site | Secure Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | 1/12* | Bettarget | Visit Site |
| Erling Haaland | 13/2* | Spreadex | Visit Site |
| Kevin De Bruyne | 50/1* | MrMega | Visit Site |
| Kylian Mbappé | 50/1* | Betiton | Visit Site |
| Vinicius Junior | 80/1* | bet365 | Visit Site |
| Rodri | 100/1* | bet365 | Visit Site |
| Harry Kane | 250/1* | Bettarget | Visit Site |
Note that different bookies are better for certain players than others. This is due to the bookmaker’s perception of a player’s probability of winning. Finding discrepancies between bookmakers is a good strategy, as is looking at the body of a player’s work across the season.
Keep in mind the prices listed here will change over time, so always check the recommended betting site for the latest Ballon d’Or odds. If you want to brush up on your football betting, check out our dedicated page.
The Markets
Even though the award is technically a futures market, there are still multiple ways to bet on the outcome. In the following sections, we take a look at the most popular ways to bet on Ballon d’Or voting results.
Betting on the Winner
Since the Ballon d’Or is an award for Football Player of the Year, it’s voted on by journalists, coaches and national team captains, meaning statistics only provide some of the story. Winners are typically players who were regularly able to carry teams to difficult victories.
To Win by a Specific Year
Some websites allow you to place futures bets on whether or not a player wins the award by a specific year. This type of bet is usually something you need to request, which is easy to do for anyone with a social media account these days.
The good news is many bookmakers post the most requested bets, so you can see whether or not fellow punters agree with you. If you don’t see odds for the market you wish to bet on, simply use your bookies hashtag on social media and ask for the price.
To Win During Career
Additionally, you can bet on whether or not a player will ever win the trophy. This can be extremely risky, as some players who are projected to be great end up as busts and others you’ve never heard of end up as some of the greatest to ever play.
It’s worth checking to see the odds on various markets before placing your wagers. You may have full faith someone wins the award during their career, but if the odds are higher for them to win it before a certain date, it might be the better punt.
The Runner-Up
While rare, some Ballon d’Or betting sites let you bet on who will be the runner up in this year’s voting. This market is best for when you think voting will be close between two players. It’s usually a big payday if you can also correctly guess the winner.
Betting Bonuses
Since it’s such a prestigious award, some sites may run promotions for bettors. These are typically odds boosts on one or more of the favourites, so you can get more bang for your buck. To get increased prices, simply add the boosted odds to your betting slip.
Additionally, most operators have some version of a welcome package for new signups. You can see our suggested Ballon d’Or betting site welcome package above. When you click the button to go to their site, follow the instructions on the screen to claim your bonus.
If you’re interested in other bets not directly related to sports, check out our novelty betting page and read our extensive guides on entertainment and politics betting.
Betting Tips
Another important thing to have in your betting arsenal is a strategy. With over 40 players realistically in the running for the award each year, Ballon d’Or betting can get quite complex. Also, odds change as the season goes on, injuries occur and players have good and bad performances.
Here are some tips to get you started:
- Research players in the running.
- Give more weight to recent performances.
- Stay updated on injury news.
- Make your prediction.
- Evaluate which Ballon d’Or bookie has favourable odds.
- Create an account and make your wager.
As with all forms of betting, your ability to successfully bet on Ballon d’Or voting outcomes lies in your ability to identify value. If you are able to choose someone at long odds at the beginning of the season, and their odds get shorter as it progresses, you know you’ve made a good choice.
However, toward the end of the season, you will know who is in serious contention. Sometimes the winner comes down to performance in a post-season tournament like the World Cup. If you believe someone will have a good tournament, betting on them to win the award makes sense.
You can also consider doubling up your winner bet with PFA Player of the Year betting. If a Premier League player has an exceptional year, you could be in line for a double win.
Voting Rules
As we mentioned earlier, the winner is a vote among national team captains, coaches and journalists from a 30-name shortlist. Each voter ranks five players in order of preference, with the top pick getting six points, the second player four points, then three, two and one point.
At the conclusion of the voting period, the points are tallied and the player with the most wins. If there’s a tie, the player with the most first-place votes is the winner. If the tie continues, a new ballot is created between the finalists to select the winner.
There are, of course, rules and regulations the voters must follow. Here’s a look at the criteria the voters are using:
- Individual and contribution to collective performance
- Player class (including talent and sportsmanship)
- Overall judgement of the player’s career
By knowing these guidelines, you can draw your own opinion on a winner before heading over to the bookmaker’s website.
Ballon d’Or Frontrunners
While the title can be won by any football player on a European club, there are always perennial favourites. It’s no coincidence that they are some of the most famous footballers currently in the game. Here are some of the players who are usually in the running:
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Kylian MbappéKylian Mbappé is regarded as one of the best players in the game today. A striker, he’s renowned for his play with Paris St. Germain and the French National Team. In 2018 he became the youngest goal scorer in World Cup history, and just the second teenager to score in the history of the competition after Brazilian legend Pelé.
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Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski is another striker widely regarded as the best goalscorer in the German Bundesliga. He won both the 2020 FIFA and UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Awards during a pandemic affected season. He is the Bundesliga’s all time leading scorer, and a Bayern Munich legend.
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N’Golo Kanté
Long term Chelsea central defensive midfielder N’Golo Kanté isn’t your typical winner. Arguably the best defensive midfielder in the game, Kanté was crucial in Chelsea’s 2021 run to the Champion’s League trophy. If he puts together a solid performance during Euro 2021 competition, he could be the century’s first defensive player to win the trophy.
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Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is the all-time leader for most Ballon’ d’Ors. He’s won the award a record six times, all during his stint at FC Barcelona. Possibly the greatest player ever, there’s a solid chance he’ll add to his legendary hardware collection before he’s through.
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Harry Kane
The pride of English football, Harry Kane is arguably the best striker to ever play for the Three Lions. Inarguably one of the greatest strikers of his generation, he won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup for bagging the most goals. He’s a perennial outside chance for the award.
Interesting Facts
As with most prestigious awards, there are several interesting stories and personalities surrounding the Ballon d’Or. In this section, we outline the top three lesser-known facts about the Footballer of the Year Award for players in Europe.
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It’s No Longer a FIFA Award
For many years, the Ballon d’Or was considered the Continental European Footballer of the year award. This changed in 2007, when eligibility opened to anyone who played for a European club. In 2010 France Football and FIFA decided to make the award an official FIFA honor. However, in 2015 France Football took the award independent again.
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The Ballon d’Or is Organized by a Footballing Magazine.
It’s Awarded by a French Football magazine called France Football. The magazine has issued the award since 1956, using a pool of journalists, coaches and team captains as voters to decide the winner.
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Pelé – The Player of the Century
Though Pele never won the award during his career, he was deemed the best player for the century of 1900-2000. The voters of this award were 30 of the previous 34 Ballon d’Or winners. Pelé beat Maradona by almost double the first place votes to take home the honor.
Bet on Ballon d’Or: A Fun Season Long Player Prop
The Ballon d’Or is possibly one of the most prestigious individual awards in all of sports. To bring home hardware a player must demonstrate his ability throughout the course of an entire club season and sometimes international play.
What makes a bet on Ballon d’Or voting so fun is how it brings excitement throughout the year. If you place your wager at the beginning of the season and your player does well, you can watch his odds drop like a rock knowing you got him at full value.
If you’re interested in other bets not directly related to sports, check out our novelty bets homepage. Special bets cover many different things, so check it out and see if something else catches your eye, like PFA Player of the Year betting.
Additionally, if you want to bet on Ballon d’Or winners but can’t find a bookmaker you like on this page, check out our other UK betting sites list. There you’ll find a list of all the top bookmakers plus links to our reviews, so you can find the right bookie for you.
FAQ
While we try to make our guides as comprehensive as possible, occasionally our readers have more specific questions. We answer these in the following FAQ section. If you feel we missed something or have any other questions, feel free to reach out to the team via email.
🥇 What are the best Ballon d'Or betting sites?
The best Ballon d'Or betting sites are ones licensed by a gambling authority. A gambling licence is the number one indicator of a legitimate betting site. Check out our list of top Ballon d'Or bookmakers for some recommendations.
🔍 Can you bet on Ballon d'Or?
Yes, you can bet on Ballon d'Or voting. It's perhaps the most coveted individual trophy in the world's most popular sport, so sports books cover it heavily, updating the odds as news breaks throughout the year. You can check out our Ballon d'Or betting guide for some basic strategy.
🤔 What are the odds on the winner of the Ballon d'Or?
The odds on the winner of the Ballon d'Or change throughout the year. We listed some Ballon d'Or odds for you but be sure to routinely check the bookies for updates as they are subject to change.
🏆 Are there any bonuses for betting on Ballon d'Or?
It might be difficult to find Ballon d'Or specific bonuses, however they do exist. It might take a bit of searching on your part, so we suggest simply using your welcome bonus you get when signing up at bookmakers to bet on the Ballon d'Or with.