The 2023 Ballon d'Or will take centre stage on October 30 as the footballing world waits expectantly to see who will win the top awards from France Football.
Despite the presence of other major individual awards — including the FIFA Best — the Ballon d'Or has retained its place as a special recognition of player excellence since its inception in 1956.
The awards ceremony will once again take place at the prestigious Parisian venue the Theare du Chatelet with multiple awards on offer including the Ballon d'Or Feminin, the Kopa Trophy and the Yashin Trophy.
WATCH BALLON D'OR 2023 AWARDS: STREAM LIVE FOR FREE ON PARAMOUNT+
Former Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba will be hosting the ceremony at which Lionel Messi has been tipped to win the main prize for a record-extending eighth time.
The Sporting News takes a look at what time the ceremony will get underway in the French capital, plus details on how you can watch, including for free in the United States.
LIVE: Who will win the Ballon d'Or? Follow the latest from Paris ahead of the 2023 ceremony
What time is Ballon d'Or 2023?
The Ballon d'Or ceremony will involve huge media attention before it starts and the ranking of players from No. 11 through to No. 30 will be revealed on official Ballon d'Or social media accounts in the build-up to the formal start.
The ceremony is due to begin at 8:30 p.m. local time in Paris on Monday, October 30, which translates to 2:30 p.m. ET.*
The winner is expected to be confirmed around 30 minutes after the scheduled start.
*All times are estimated by event organisers
| Date | Start time | Winner Announced | |
| USA | Mon Oct. 30 | 2:30 p.m. ET | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| Canada | Mon Oct. 30 | 2:30 p.m. ET | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| UK | Mon Oct. 30 | 7:30 p.m. GMT | 8:00 p.m. GMT |
| Australia | Tue Oct. 31 | 6:30 a.m. AEDT | 7:00 a.m. AEDT |
| India | Tue Oct. 31 | 1:00 a.m. IST | 1:30 a.m. IST |
| Hong Kong | Tue Oct. 31 | 3:30 a.m. HKT | 4:00 a.m. HKT |
| Malaysia | Tue Oct. 31 | 3:30 a.m. HKT | 4:00 a.m. HKT |
| Singapore | Tue Oct. 31 | 3:30 a.m. HKT | 4:00 a.m. HKT |
| New Zealand | Tue Oct. 31 | 8:30 a.m. NZDT | 9:00 a.m. NZDT |
How to watch the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony
The 2023 Ballon d'Or is a streamable event, with the familiar face of Chelsea legend Didier Drogba presenting.
L'Equipe will stream the ceremony via their YouTube channel, while broadcasters around the world will be showcasing the event live.
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | — | Paramount+ |
| Canada | — | |
| UK | — | BBC Red Button |
| Australia | — | SBS On Demand |
| India | Sony TEN 2 | Sony LIV, JioTV |
| Hong Kong | — | L'Equipe — YouTube |
| Malaysia | — | L'Equipe — YouTube |
| Singapore | — | L'Equipe — YouTube |
| New Zealand | — | L'Equipe — YouTube |
