2020 Ballon d’Or scrapped: ‘We did not want an asterisk,’ say organisers

Decision marks the first time the prize will not be awarded in its 64-year history

The Ballon d’Or will not be awarded this year, organisers France Football have announced.

The annual prize, which is considered to be the sport’s most prestigious individual accolade, is usually awarded in December to honour the ‘best’ footballer of the year, as voted by journalists, coaches and players.

This year will mark the first time since the prize’s inception in 1956 that it has not been awarded.

On Tuesday, organisers France Football – a French magazine – listed their reasons for cancelling this year’s ceremony and award, with the coronavirus crisis essentially influencing all of them.

“Because such a unique year cannot – and should not – be treated as an ordinary year,” they explained. “When in doubt, it is better to abstain than to persist.

“Because the Ballon d’Or trophy conveys values ​​– such as exemplarity, solidarity and responsibility – other than sporting excellence alone. Because the equity which prevails for this honorary title could not be preserved, in particular at the statistical level and also of the preparation since all the aspirants to the reward could not be accommodated in the same boat, some having seen their season cut off radically, others having not.

“So how can we compare the incomparable?

“Because we did not want to affix an indelible asterisk of style to the prize list, such as: ‘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.

“Protecting the credibility and legitimacy of such an award also means ensuring its flawlessness over time.”

The organisers also cited the fact that January and February have been the only months so far this year in which games were played in ‘ordinary’ circumstances. Another reason for the prize’s cancellation was the potential for judges to have been distracted from observing players closely enough due to other understandable priorities amid the health crisis.

Last year’s male winner of the Ballon d’Or was Lionel Messi, who was awarded the prize for a record sixth time.

Last year’s winner of the Ballon d’Or Feminin – the women’s equivalent of the men’s prize – was United States international and World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe.

The Ballon d’Or Feminin was first awarded in 2018, with Ada Hegerberg winning, and will similarly not be presented this year.