Barcelona and Argentina superstar, Lionel Messi will continue his reign as the best player in the world for another year after 2020 Ballon d’Or was cancelled on Monday.
The c ancellation, according to France Football, who are the organisers, is as a result of the three months break in football because of the coronavirus pandemic.
It is the first year since 1956 that France Football will not hand out the prestigious individual award.
“From a sports perspective, two months (January and February), out of the eleven 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 8 played in a single game), France Football editor
“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.
“This decision, which was taken of course with all the Group stakeholders, does not delight us but it seems to be the most responsible one. Protecting the credibility and legitimacy of such an award also means ensuring its flawlessness over time.
“The Ballon d’Or will gather again the football big family and enthusiasts in 2021, to relive the happiness that surrounds the ceremonies as we have experienced them in recent years.”
Messi won the award last year for a record sixth time and was a contender to win after winning a seventh straight La Liga top scorer and setting an assists record.
However, the player many had fancied to win was Bayern Munich’s Lewandowski. The Polish has 51 goals this season.
Source: www.Ghgossip.com
