March 12, (THEWILL) – L’Equipe, which owns France Football magazine, the organisers of the Ballon d’Or, has announced four significant changes to the way the Ballon d’Or winner is determined, with the new rules taking effect with the award’s next edition.
Last year’s winner was Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain, who won the Ballon d’Or for a record seventh time, two more than Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, his arch-rival leading many critics to question the selection process.
L’Equipe announced four entire changes to the process that is highlighted by a new annual structure. Until the 2021 edition, the award was given out based on the players’ performances over the course of a calendar year, from January to December.
The trophy, however, will henceforth be awarded to the best player of the season, from August to July. This means that people voting for the following edition can consider the Women’s European Championship, which will take place from July 6 to July 31, 2022, but not the Men’s World Cup, which will be held in Qatar in 2022.
Given this alteration, Messi is unlikely to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or in 2022, as PSG have been eliminated from the Champions League’s last 16 and he has underperformed in Ligue 1 so far this season.
As has always been the case, the 30 Ballon d’Or contenders, as well as the 20 for the Yashin Trophy and 20 for the Kopa Trophy, were chosen by the editorial staffs of France Football and L’Equipe. However, more experts will be involved in the process going forward, including Ballon d’Or ambassador Didier Drogba and the voters who were on the verge of obtaining the rights to the previous edition’s results.
The Vietnamese journalist Truong Anh Ngoc, the New Zealander Gordon Watson, and the Czech Karolina Hlavackova will all be part of the specialists involved in the upcoming edition.
Delegates from as many as 170 countries voted in the previous edition, but that is also going to change, as representatives from only the top 100 FIFA countries (and the top 50 for women’s football) will be permitted to vote from now on.
After emphasising that the Ballon d’Or is an individual prize, L’Equipe has clarified that voters should place a priority on the players’ individual accomplishments over collective successes, which will be considered as well, with the players’ ability and sense of fair play as the third factor.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
