The Ballon d’Or has been canceled for the first time in the history of the award due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the soccer calendar.
Lionel Messi of Barcelona won the 2019 award, while the US women’s national team and OL Reign captain Megan Rapinoe took home the Women’s Ballon d’Or.
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The organizers of the award, the L’Equipe Group, announced in a statement on Monday that the conditions for the award had not been met.
“There will be no edition in 2020, because it turns out, after careful consideration, that not all conditions are met. We believe that such a unique year cannot, and should not, be treated as an ordinary one,” editor -in chief of France Football Pascal Ferre said in a statement.
“From a sports perspective, two months (January and February), of the 11 generally required to form an opinion and decide who should lift the trophies, represent too little to evaluate and judge; not forgetting that the other games were played: – or it will be played – in extraordinary conditions (behind closed doors, with five replacements, the Champions League Final is played in one game).
“Ultimately, the equity that prevails for this honorary title will not be guaranteed, especially when it comes to accounting and preparation: all the prize seekers will not be in the same boat, some have seen their season shorten. So how can we Establish a fair comparison? To avoid overly complicated calculations and projections, we choose the least bad options. “
Instead of awarding the usual four individual trophies, the organization will announce an “Ideal Team” at the end of the year. Eleven players will appear and be chosen by the regular Ballon d’Or jury.
Each of the 180 juries will choose 11 players and the players with the most votes will form the final team.
The award was created in 1956 and is the most prestigious individual trophy in football. In 2018, she added the Women’s Ballon d’Or to reward the best soccer player in the women’s game.
Along with the Ballon d’Or, the organization also awards an award to the best young player and best goalkeeper.
The Ballon d’Or is chaired by France Football, which was awarded by FIFA between 2010 and 2015. However, the two companies separated and the governing body of football created the FIFA The Best Award, which has paralleled the Ballon d’Or . since 2016
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