According to Mundo Deportivo, in an opinion piece in World Sports Newspaper, 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of Fabio Cannavaro winning the Ballon d'Or. The newspaper columnist believes that since the Italian defender won the award in 2006 with the World Cup title, the criteria for this individual award have deteriorated, and it no longer truly recognizes the "best player in the world." The article also argues that Barcelona's young star Yamal deserves the award this year, as he excels both individually and helped his team achieve collective success.

In 2006, Cannavaro won the Ballon d'Or after Italy won the World Cup in Germany. At that time, the world's best player was widely considered to be Ronaldinho, the Brazilian superstar from Barcelona, who had also won the Champions League with Barcelona that season. Ronaldinho had won the Ballon d'Or in 2005, and even though Brazil was eliminated in the World Cup quarterfinals, he was still the favorite to win the award again. However, Ronaldinho not only lost, but Gianluigi Buffon and Thierry Henry also received more votes than the Barcelona player, let alone Cannavaro.

Twenty years have passed, and I still cannot understand Cannavaro's Ballon d'Or win. I believe this is the most unjust award among all Ballon d'Or winners, and since then, I have lost faith in this award. Italy defeated France on penalties in the World Cup final that year, so if the penalty shootout had favored France, Cannavaro might not have even reached the podium. Since then, the Ballon d'Or is no longer what it used to be; it is no longer given to the world's best player, but to the most consistent player whose club and national team won the Champions League and/or World Cup or European Championship that season.

It is difficult to give an individual award in a team sport. But because this is supposed to be an individual award, team achievements should not carry such heavy weight. The clearest example of fairness is 2010. That year, Spain won the World Cup and Inter Milan won the Champions League, but Lionel Messi won the Ballon d'Or. From a collective standpoint, there were better performers, but from an individual standpoint, no one could surpass the Argentine. In that situation, the award was fair, and the world's best player won it. The fact that his club or national team didn't win the biggest trophies doesn't mean Messi wasn't the best. If we followed the standard that led to Cannavaro's win, the Ballon d'Or should have gone to Iniesta or Xavi, but they were the first to acknowledge that Messi was the best in the world.

Today, a similar situation exists with Yamal. The Barcelona player is the best in the world, and if an individual award is given to the best player, it should go to him. There is nothing to debate. Moreover, Yamal won the World Cup with his national team, so he meets all criteria, both individually and collectively. Curiously, campaigns for the award have already begun, advocating for Fabián Ruiz, Mbappé, or anyone not wearing a Barcelona jersey.

I started writing this article about the Ballon d'Or because we just learned the list of 30 players this week, but I must admit, this topic has become tiresome. Years ago, the Ballon d'Or was only discussed at year's end when the winner appeared on the cover of France Football. Back then, there was hardly any insider information, and the magazine's correspondents were highly respected journalists who would not vote based on loyalty to a particular club or their own country. Now, the Ballon d'Or is mentioned at almost every press conference, becomes an endless topic of discussion, and most people "protect their own," subjectively supporting their favorites. Frankly, it's quite tedious. Not to mention the criteria for compiling the 30-man list and the voters themselves—this year they didn't include Pedri or Raphinha in the nominations. Does anyone truly believe they aren't among the world's best players? Just like Sergio Busquets, who never appeared on this list years ago. Incomprehensible decisions like these erode the credibility of this award, which loses prestige year after year, yet we all continue to give it excessive importance and exposure.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

Situs web AF kini hadir! Lihat berita lengkap, komentar, detail pertandingan, dan statistik di komputer Anda. Kunjungi: www.allfootballapp.com