Organizers Restructure Ballon d'Or Award Criteria

Ballon d'Or organizers, France Football, have made four changes to the format of the award for the next ceremony which will take place later in October 2022.

The award which was given to the best player for a calendar year, with Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi winning it for a record seventh time, two ahead of his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo, will now have a new look.

According to L'Equipe, there are four new changes to the award;

- Based On Season, No Longer Year.

From the inaugural winner of the award, Stanley Matthews when the award was known as 'Continental European Footballer of the Year Award' to the record and current winner Lionel Messi the award has been an annual award based on a calendar year (January - December).

Now it would be based on season i.e. during a conventional football season which is from August to July.

"No more January to December. 

The #ballondor will now be awarded on the basis of a classic football season: August to July! ?

No worries, the Qatar World Cup will count for the 2023 award", LEquipe tweeted.

No more January to December.

The #ballondor will now be awarded on the basis of a classic football season : August to July! ?

No worries, the Qatar World Cup will count for the 2023 award. pic.twitter.com/BPvNp4jTNM

— Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@francefootball) March 11, 2022

This means that several top players who have struggled this season might not be in consideration for the award including the likes of Neymar, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Kylian Mbappe while players last edition runner up Robert Lewandowski, Sadio Mane, Mohammed Salah, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric. Pedri could be vying to win the next award.

- More Specialists To Join The Process

The editorial staff of France Football and L'Equipe form the board to choose the 30 Ballon d'Or nominees as well as 20 for both Yasin Trophy and Kopa Trophy.

Now more specialists including the award ambassador Didier Drogba, Vietnamese journalist Truong Anh Ngoc, the New Zealander Gordon Watson and the Czech Karolina Hlavackova would take part in the process.

- Reduced Voters

Initially, representatives from over 170 countries participated in each year's voting but now only representatives from FIFA top 100 countries and top 50 for the women's football will be able to vote.

- Area of Focus

After emphasis on the individualistic nature of the award by L'Equipe, it translates into a change in the focus for a player's individual performances over collective achievements, then the player's ability and sense of fair play.