The Ballon d'Or no longer rewards the world's best player: 20 years of a tired debate

Twenty years have passed since Fabio Cannavaro received the Ballon d'Or, and the award has never been the same. The Italian center-back took the prize in 2006 after his national team conquered the World Cup in Germany, a decision that dethroned the era's biggest favorite: Ronaldinho. The Brazilian had won the trophy a year earlier and lifted the Champions League with Barcelona, but the weight of the World Cup crushed his chances. Since then, the Ballon d'Or has followed a different path, and it is fair to ask whether it still recognizes the best footballer on the planet.

• Fabio Cannavaro won the Ballon d'Or in 2006 after the World Cup, ahead of Buffon and Thierry Henry.
• Ronaldinho, the reigning European champion and 2005 Ballon d'Or winner, could not repeat despite being the clear favorite.
• Since that year, collective titles have mattered more than individual performances.
• In 2010, Messi won without a World Cup or Champions League, and that was a fair tribute to the world's best player.
• Lamine Yamal is the top candidate in 2025, but alternative campaigns have already begun.

Cannavaro 2006: the Ballon d'Or that changed everything

Italy beat France in the Berlin final on penalties, a finish so narrow it invites deeper reflection. If that shootout had gone the other way, Cannavaro would likely have never stepped onto the podium. The defender delivered an excellent tournament, but his candidacy was built on a collective title decided by the cruelest of margins. That logic, rewarding the most consistent player within a winning side, took hold of the Ballon d'Or from then on and distorted the essence of an individual honor.

The most striking part of 2006 was not only that Cannavaro won, but that Ronaldinho finished neither second nor third. In the eyes of most, the Brazilian was the most gifted player on the planet, yet Brazil had crashed out in the World Cup quarterfinals. Buffon, a world champion with Italy, and Thierry Henry, a finalist with France, both finished ahead of him in the voting. That outcome left one uncomfortable conclusion: being the best was no longer enough; you also needed to win something big with your team.

Why the Ballon d'Or stopped rewarding the best player

Football is a collective sport, and handing out an individual award is always complicated. But if the trophy is defined as recognition for the world's best player, then team achievements should not outweigh individual brilliance. Since 2006, however, the scales have tilted toward silverware: a Champions League, World Cup, or European Championship became almost mandatory credentials. The best footballer of the year often turned into the most consistent player on the most successful team.

That drift has produced debatable winners and glaring omissions. Players like Sergio Busquets, for instance, never appeared on the shortlists despite being a global reference in his position. The 2025 edition is just as shocking: Pedri and Raphinha are not among the thirty nominees. It is hard to believe anyone could seriously argue that neither belongs among the best in the world, especially after the season they have produced. Decisions like these undermine the credibility of an award that loses prestige every year.

Messi in 2010: the exception that proves the rule

The 2010 edition showed that another path was possible. Spain won the World Cup in South Africa and Inter Milan lifted the Champions League, but the Ballon d'Or went to Lionel Messi. The Argentine did not win either of that season's two biggest trophies, and yet there was no debate about who stood alone at the top individually. It was a fair award, given to the most decisive footballer without paying attention to what his club or national team had achieved.

Under Cannavaro's logic, that prize would have gone to Andrés Iniesta or Xavi Hernández. They, however, were the first to admit that Messi was above everyone else. That edition remains a rare moment of coherence within a trend that would reassert itself in the years that followed. It still serves as a reminder that being the best does not always mean winning more.

Lamine Yamal and the Ballon d'Or 2025 campaigns

With the thirty-candidate shortlist already announced, Lamine Yamal's name stands out as the clear favorite. The Barcelona winger is, right now, the most decisive footballer in the world, and he has also just become a world champion with the Spanish national team. He meets every requirement: he dominates the individual side and adds a top-tier collective title. There is little room for rational debate.

Even so, campaigns have already begun to push other names. Figures like Fabián Ruiz or Kylian Mbappé are being mentioned, in a move reminiscent of previous editions when efforts were made to shift the spotlight away from the Barcelona player of the moment. The pattern repeats itself with almost comical precision. Meanwhile, the debate creeps into every press conference and talk show, feeding a noise that adds little to the award itself.

The media noise wearing the award down

Years ago, the Ballon d'Or was only discussed at the end of the season. The winner appeared on the cover of France Football and leaks were rare. The magazine's correspondents enjoyed prestige and voted without wearing the scarf of any club or country, ensuring a certain cleanliness in the process. That landscape has disappeared entirely.

Today the award slips into almost every public appearance, is debated for months, and everyone pushes for their own with shameless subjectivity. The thirty-name shortlist sparks controversy before the trophy is even handed out, and the voters are not free from suspicion. All that noise ends up exhausting everyone and diminishing the value of an honor that, paradoxically, receives far too much publicity. The Ballon d'Or is no longer what it used to be, and a large part of the problem is exactly that.