France Football has announced that there will be no Ballon
d'Or awards or ceremony this year, due to the "lack of sufficient fair
conditions". The prestigious award has been handed out to the best player
in the world since 156, but the decision to cancel this year comes as a result
of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the detrimental effects it has had on football. In
a statement in their official website, France Football said: “For the
first time in its history, which began in 1956, the Ballon d'Or will not be
awarded in 2020, due to the lack of sufficient fair conditions.
“Messi and Rapinoe (as well as [Mattijs] de Ligt and
Alisson, winners of the Kopa and Yachine Trophies [for young player and
goalkeeper]) will have to wait a year. The winners of the last edition will
have no successors at the end of the year. Because there will be
no Ballon d'Or 2020 edition.
"Why? Because such a singular year cannot - and
should not - be treated as an ordinary year. When in doubt, it is better
to abstain than to persist.
“Because the Ballon d'Or trophy conveys other
values - like exemplarity, solidarity and responsibility - rather than
merely sporting excellence alone.
“Because the fairness that prevails for this honorary title
could not be preserved, in particular at the statistical level and also in the
preparation since all the aspirants to the award could not be rightly compared,
some having seen their season cut radically short, others not. So how can
we compare the incomparable?
"Because of our approximately 220 jurors (men and women
combined) distributed around the world, some may have been distracted or
diverted from their observation due to other priorities and emergencies to
manage.
“We did not want to put an indelible asterisk on the prize
list like “trophy won in exceptional circumstances due to the Covid-19
health crisis”. We will always prefer a small sprain to our
history to a large scar.
"This is the first time since 1956 that the Ballon d'Or
has taken a break. The situation does not enchant us but seems to us the
most responsible and logical decision. Protecting the credibility and
legitimacy of such an award also means protecting it over time.
"The Ballon d'Or story is too precious to take the risk
of damaging it with a wobbly exercise. In these turbulent times, taking a
break is a luxury and an invaluable necessity. So that football, as a
whole, regains momentum, passion and emotion.”
Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or a record six times, and
Cristiano Ronaldo, five. To fill the void created by the absence of the Ballon
d'Or this year, France Football has created another trophy: the France Football
Dream Team. France Football’s jury will elect history’s best team from a
shortlist of five players in each position. The star-studded lineup will be
revealed sometime in autumn (fall).
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