Iran Press/ Europe: The Ballon d’Or is considered to be one of the most prestigious prizes in football, with some iconic names having won the award multiple times down the years, but the criteria for claiming that particular trophy is being tweaked by France Football for the current year and beyond.
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi was the last man to land the award, with the Barcelona legend, now at Paris Saint-Germain, being recognized in 2021 as the best player on the planet for the seventh time in his illustrious career.
Eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo has taken top honors on five occasions in the past, while Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten all have three successes to their name. They were all judged on the basis of their efforts across a calendar year, but that is about to change.
France Football, which has been handing out the award since 1956 and introduced the Ballon d’Or Feminin in 2018, has revealed that four key changes will be made to the process of identifying the world’s finest talent.
1. A more consistent schedule
“Because the award was originally designed to celebrate the best player of the year, since then no change has taken place at this level. The BdO celebrates the strongest from January to December, which obliges, de facto, to judge and gauge two half-seasons - January-July and August-December (sometimes accompanied by club changes in the off-season) - rather than one season in its entirety and continuity.
2. Even stronger lists
“Because the Ballon d'Or begins as soon as the famous lists of nominees are drawn up (thirty for men, twenty for women, and ten for the Yachine and Kopa Trophies), it was decided to reinforce this essential step. In order to present a selection of suitors as fair, indisputable, and relevant as possible, we acted to change the process which, until now, mainly involved the writers of France Football. To the lists of FF (and L'Équipe) journalists will now be added BdO ambassador Didier Drogba (for the men's BdO and the Yachine and Kopa Trophies) as well as the voter who has shown himself to be the most insightful in the previous edition.
3. A more demanding voting system
“Because the Ballon d'Or has gone from sixteen European jurors (1956) to one hundred and seventy (2021) spread all over the world, it can boast of an astonishing and indisputable universality. This is what contributes to its influence and reputation. However, is the judgment ten times finer and better with ten times more jurors? Couldn't the gigantic size of the jury end up weakening it? Did the openness to "small" countries (those which have neither a big natural football culture nor historical legitimacy and not always easy access to images of the main competitions) risk from time to time impacting the ballot due to lack of adequate knowledge or expertise?
4. Clearer rules
“Because the rules have not changed much since their inception and the criteria frequently give rise to debate, we thought it appropriate to refresh the hierarchy of the constituent elements in the vote for greater consistency and clarity. And avoid any ambiguities. The Ballon d'Or is an individual award. Also, logically, criterion number 1 will focus primarily on individual performance and the decisive and impressive character of the contenders.
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