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Why Was There No Ballon d'Or Winner in 2020?

L’Equipe, the organizer of the Ballon d’Or, decided not to award a 2020 edition of the prestigious trophy due to the outbreak of COVID-19 that disrupted competitions across the world. Pascal Ferré, editor-in-chief of France Football, said:

“There will be no edition in 2020, because it turns out, after thoughtful consideration, that all the conditions are not met. We believe that such a singular year cannot —and should not— be treated as an ordinary one.”

“From a sports perspective, two months (January and February), out of the eleven generally required to form an opinion and decide who should lift the trophies, represent far too little to gauge and judge; without forgetting that the other games were played —or will be played— in unordinary conditions (behind closed doors, with five replacements, Champions League’s Final 8 played in a single game).”

The Ballon d’Or will not be awarded in 2020.

Our official statement > https://t.co/4HjwEZ81uq #ballondor pic.twitter.com/MFRem2SEoQ

— #BallondOr (@francefootball) July 20, 2020

Per Ferré, the awarding of the Ballon d’Or is set to resume in 2021.

Here are some of the contenders that were considered for the 2020 award:

• Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich & Poland)
• Sadio Mané (Liverpool & Senegal)
• Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool & Netherlands)
• Mohamed Salah (Liverpool & Egypt)
• Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain & Brazil)
• Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain & France)
• Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City & Belgium)
• Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina)
• Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus & Portugal)

Instead of the four usual winners (men and women Ballon d’Or, Kopa and Yachine Trophies), France Football will designate 11 players at the end of the year and establish an all-time team chosen by the usual Ballon d’Or jury.

Everything You Need to Know About the Ballon d’Or

Let’s take a look at what the Ballon d’Or is, how it’s decided and who has won it in the past.

Ballon d’Or History

The Ballon d’Or is an annual award presented by France Football to the best performing soccer player over the past calendar year. The award is generally considered the highest individual honor a football player can receive. The first Ballon d’Or was awarded in 1956 to Stanley Matthews.

From 2010 to 2015 the Ballon d’Or was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year Award, though it is now once again independently awarded by France Football. Since 2018, an award has also been presented to the best female player, the Ballon d’Or Feminin.

Ballon d’Or Voting

The Ballon d’Or winner is chosen from 30 nominees by a panel of journalists. The 30-man shortlist is chosen by the editorial staff of France Football, and then an international jury of journalists from a number of different nations vote for the winner. Each country has one representative journalist. A full ranking of all nominees is given during the ceremony before the winner is announced.

Each journalist selects their top five best players, with six points going to the first selection, four to the second, three to the third, two to the fourth and one to the player listed in fifth. The voting is based on set criteria, which are considered in the following order:

1. Individual and collective performances from the past year
2. Player class, which France Football defines as “talent and fair play”
3. The player’s overall career

Ballon d’Or Winners

For the majority of its history, the Ballon d’Or produced a wide variety of winners, with a new player taking the prize most years. However, from 2008-2017 the award was shared exclusively between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, both winning a record five each whilst playing for La Liga clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively.

Real Madrid’s Luke Modric broke that stronghold by winning the 2018 award, and though both Ronaldo and Messi are still in contention, the award is now much more open than it has been for most of the past decade.

Lionel Messi was named 2019 FIFA Player of the Year, beating Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Barcelona forward won a record sixth Ballon d’Or title.

How to Make the Most Informed Bet

Most recent Ballon d’Or winners have won by a wide margin, with the last three winners gaining at least 200 more votes than second place. However, that doesn’t mean picking a winner is easy, so it’s important to do your research before betting on the Ballon d’Or.

It’s important to remember that award doesn’t simply go to whoever scores the most goals. Individual performances in certain tournaments and trophies won by a player are also big factors.

For example, while Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo recorded much more impressive numbers, Luka Modric’s 2018 win was largely put down to his performances during the 2018 World Cup. Modric led an unfancied Croatia to an unprecedented final, while Messi and Ronaldo both struggled to make an impact on the world’s biggest football competition.

This means its important to carefully consider each candidates achievements from the past year and pay close attention to the Ballon d’Or odds.