The modern voting process is restricted to journalists from the top-ranked FIFA nations evaluating specific season-based criteria.

Since 2022, voting evaluates a standard European season from August to August rather than a calendar year. The jury is restricted to one specialized journalist per nation from the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries for men and top 50 for women. Voters evaluate three strict criteria: individual performance and decisive character, team achievements, and class and fair play, marking a shift away from lifetime achievement bias.