FIFA unveils a new award to rival the Ballon d'Or.

The world football governing body has just launched the "FIFA Best Players Awards," which includes the Best Men's Player award, a title of equal importance to France Football magazine's Ballon d'Or.

The FIFA awards include Best Men's Player, Best Women's Player, Best Men's Coach, Best Women's Coach, the Puskas Award for the Best Goal, the Fair Play Award, the Fans' Award, and the Team of the Year. The awards ceremony will take place on January 9, 2017, at FIFA headquarters in Switzerland.

Messi won the FIFA Best Male Player award in 2009. Photo: Reuters

Among the newly introduced awards, the Best Male Player award will replace the FIFA Ballon d'Or. Previously, FIFA and France Football magazine, as a joint alliance, organized the FIFA Ballon d'Or for six consecutive years (2010-2015). In September, France Football left the alliance to restore the tradition of organizing the Ballon d'Or independently.

Prior to their six-year partnership for a single award, the two organizations already had independent award systems. France Football had organized the Ballon d'Or since 1956, while FIFA had awarded the Best Men's Player award since 1991.

Zidane and Ronaldo (Brazil) have both won the FIFA Men's Player of the Year award three times. Ronaldinho has also won it twice, while Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have only managed to win it once.

This week, FIFA will announce the nominees for the individual awards in stages. First, the nominee for Women's Football Coach, followed by Men's Football Coach, Best Female Player, and Best Male Player.

According to VNE