There will be no Ballon d’Or winner in 2020 after France Football confirmed the award will not be assigned.
The magazine began handing out the award in 1956, but chief editor Pascal Ferre announced that it will not be assigned for the first time in its history due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“There will be no edition in 2020, because it turns out, after thoughtful consideration, that all the conditions are not met,” he wrote in a statement. “We believe that such a singular year cannot — and should not — be treated as an ordinary one.
“From a sports perspective, two months (January and February), out of the 11 generally required to form an opinion and decide who should lift the trophies, represent far too little to gauge and judge; without forgetting that the other games were played — or will be played — in unordinary conditions (behind closed doors, with five replacements, Champions League’s Final eight played in a single game).
“Finally, the equity that prevails for this honorary title will not be warranted, especially when it comes to accounting and preparation: all the award seekers will not be in the same boat, some having seen their season cut short. Therefore, how can we establish a fair comparison? To avoid overly convoluted calculations and projections, we chose the least bad of the options.”
Lionel Messi won the 2019 edition, the sixth of his career.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com