The Ballon d’Or award for the best male and female footballer in the world will now be judged on the basis of one season’s performance, not calendar year. France Football Magazine, the organizer of the prestigious award, has also decided to reduce the number of judges.
A panel of 170 journalists will be selected for the men’s award and 50 judges will be on the women’s panel. “We used to make decisions based on two and a half seasons before. Now it will be clear,” said Pascal Ferre. The French football editor added that this was an opportunity for new inspiration.
Paris Saint-Germain striker Lionel Messi was criticized as the winner of the 2021 Ballon d’Or. Robert Lewandowski, the striker for Bayern Munich, was rumored to be the rightful owner of the award. Changes have been announced since that criticism.
Messi won the prestigious trophy for a record seventh time. But second-placed Lewandowski scored 41 Bundesliga goals in the 2020-21 season as he helped Bayern win their ninth consecutive league title. The next Ballon d’Or award will be held in September or October 2022.
