According to Mundo Deportivo, a columnist in the sports press argues that 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of Fabio Cannavaro's Ballon d'Or victory. The columnist believes that since the Italian won the award in 2006 following Italy's World Cup victory, the judging criteria for this individual honour have continuously declined, and it is no longer truly the award for "best player in the world." The article also argues that Barcelona's young player Yamal deserves to be crowned this year because he is exceptional both in individual performance and collective honours.

In 2006, after Italy won the World Cup in Germany, Cannavaro received the Ballon d'Or. At that time, the world's best player was Ronaldinho, the brilliant Brazilian from Barcelona, and Barcelona had also won the Champions League that season. Ronaldinho had just won the Ballon d'Or in 2005 and, despite Brazil's elimination in the World Cup quarter-finals, was still the main favourite to win the award again. However, Ronaldinho not only didn't win, but 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 victory. I believe that among all Ballon d'Or winners, this was the most unjust, and from that moment on, I stopped believing in this award. Italy defeated France on penalties in the World Cup final that year, so if that lottery of penalties had gone France's way, Cannavaro probably wouldn't have even made the podium. Since then, the Ballon d'Or has not been the same; it is no longer awarded to the best player in the world, but to the most consistent player whose club and national team won the Champions League and/or the World Cup or European Championship that season.

It is inherently difficult to select individual awards in collective sports. However, since it is an individual award, team achievements should not carry more weight. The clearest example of fairness was in 2010. That year, Spain won the World Cup and Inter Milan won the Champions League, but the Ballon d'Or winner was Messi. From a collective perspective, there were players better than him, but from an individual perspective, no one could surpass the Argentine. In that situation, the award was fair, and the best player in the world won it. The fact that his club or national team didn't win the most important titles doesn't mean Messi wasn't the best. If the standard that led to Cannavaro's victory were applied, that Ballon d'Or should have gone to Iniesta or Xavi, but they were the first to acknowledge Messi as the best in the world.

Today, a similar situation is happening with Yamal. The Barcelona player is the best in the world and, if individual awards are given to the best player, then it should go to him. There is no room for debate on this. Moreover, Yamal was crowned world champion with his national team, so he meets all criteria, both individually and collectively. Coincidentally, voices campaigning for the award have already begun to emerge, backing Fabián Ruiz, Mbappé, or anyone who doesn't wear a Barcelona shirt.

I started writing this article about the Ballon d'Or because this week we just learned about the list of 30 players, but I must admit, this topic is irritating me more and more. A few years ago, the Ballon d'Or was only discussed at year-end, when the winner appeared on the cover of France Football. There were hardly any leaks back then; the magazine's correspondents were highly respected journalists who didn't vote wearing the scarves of a particular club or country. Now, the Ballon d'Or is mentioned at almost every press conference, becoming an endless topic of discussion, and most people are "protecting their own," subjectively supporting their favourites. Honestly, it's quite tedious. Not to mention the criteria for selecting the 30-player list and the voters themselves; for example, this year they didn't include Pedri or Raphinha in the nominations. Does anyone really believe they aren't among the world's best players? Just as Busquets never appeared on this list a few years ago. Such incomprehensible decisions erode the award's credibility; it loses prestige year after year, yet we all continue to give it excessive importance and exposure.

Traduzido por IA.

O site do AF já está online! Acesse notícias completas, comentários, detalhes de partidas e estatísticas no seu computador. Acesse: www.allfootballapp.com