France Football officially confirmed the unprecedented decision that no Ballon d’Or award would be presented in 2020, marking the first time the prestigious individual honor had been withheld since its inception in 1956. This cancellation was attributed to the “exceptional circumstances” and fundamental imbalance created by the global Covid-19 pandemic on the football season.
Editor-in-chief Pascal Ferré explained the decision, stating that the 2020 season “cannot – and should not – be treated as an ordinary one.” He noted that only two months of typical play (January and February) had occurred before the widespread disruption, which was considered “far too little to gauge and judge” a player’s performance. Furthermore, the resumption of play occurred under “unordinary conditions,” including behind closed doors matches, increased substitutions, and the unique single-game format of the Champions League Final Eight tournament.
A key factor in the cancellation was the lack of competitive equity among players. While the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga eventually resumed, France’s Ligue 1 was the most high-profile European division to cancel the remainder of its campaign entirely. Ferré questioned how a fair comparison could be made when “all the award seekers will not be in the same boat, some having seen their season cut short.” To protect the credibility and legitimacy of the award, France Football opted for the “least bad of the options” and postponed the award until 2021.
The last recipient was Lionel Messi, who won his sixth Ballon d’Or in 2019, breaking the recent duopoly he shared with five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo. The only player to break their streak in the preceding 12 years was Luka Modric in 2018.
The Ballon d’Or will not be awarded in 2020.
— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) July 20, 2020
Our official statement > https://t.co/4HjwEZ81uq #ballondor pic.twitter.com/MFRem2SEoQ
