Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 24 October 2024 – The world’s most prestigious football award joins forces with Hankook: the premium tyre manufacturer is supporting this year’s Ballon d’Or^TM award ceremony as an official sponsor. The Ballon d’Or^TM is the most coveted recognition of outstanding performance and exceptional talent of male and female football players around the world. The 68th award ceremony will take place in the Théâtre du Châtelet in the heart of the French capital, Paris, on 28 October 2024.

The terms of the partnership include both parties being able to use the other’s brand logos and the Hankook brand logo being prominently placed along the red carpet and in the press areas. In addition, digital activities on UEFA and Hankook channels are intended to further strengthen supporters' brand loyalty. Since 2024, the Ballon d’Or^TM has been jointly awarded by UEFA and Groupe Amaury, owner of the media companies France Football and L‘Équipe. The Ballon d’Or^TM has been awarded annually since 1956.

“Our involvement as an official sponsor of the prestigious Ballon d’Or^TM represents the logical continuation of many years of fruitful cooperation with UEFA”, says Sanghoon Lee, President and COO of Hankook Tire Europe. “The partnership embodies the ‘perfect match’ in our international sponsoring strategy, where positioning Hankook as a premium brand always takes centre stage. Football remains the most popular sport by far in Europe and connects millions of people. We are proud to be a part of this.”

Global sponsoring strategy for brand reinforcement

Hankook Tire’s sponsoring strategy pursues a clear approach based on significant partnerships on a global, European and national scale. The focus is on first-class platforms with a wide reach like the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the UEFA Europa League & Conference League and the Borussia Dortmund football club. The goal of these partnerships is to create a strong presence worldwide and, at the same time, appeal to various target markets. The partnership with UEFA, in particular, provides a way of actively placing the brand in the most important European markets.

In addition to voting on the best male and female footballers, the Ballon d’Or^TM award honours footballing achievements in seven other categories. Two new awards this year are the Coach of the Year for both men’s and women’s football, which acknowledges the valuable contribution that coaches make to success on the pitch.

Link to the official Ballon d’Or^TM  website:  https://www.uefa.com/ballondor/