I have a vote in the Ballon d’Or, one of those distinctions that come with the sheer passage of years, but I hasten to warn that my influence on the final result is not very great since we are a hundred jurors, one for each of the hundred first countries of the ranking FIFA. But every time the new nomination approaches I notice a commotion around me that almost makes me uncomfortable.
It happens because for a few years this award has taken on extreme importance among Spanish public opinion, despite those who say that it is absurd to choose one as the best in a team game, or those who maliciously think that it is granted through shady influences, whether from commercial brands, clubs or even politicians.
It is therefore convenient to explain here how it is chosen and how impossible it is to contaminate it. The writing of France Football(sister of L’Equipewhere the European Cup and the Ballon d’Or were born hand in hand) makes a preselection of 30, a number large enough to make it impossible for any true candidate to be left out.
From those we choose ten each of the jurors, scored in descending order: 15 points, 12, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. It is about choosing the best of the season, from summer to summer , in this case 23-24. The deadline for voting was September 30.
It is requested to adhere to three criteria:
1.- Individual performances, decisive and impressive character.
2.- Team performances and achievements.
3.- Class and fair play.
Personally, I have never received any suggestion and I am sure that the same will happen with the other 99. They only ask us not to reveal our vote until the proclamation, I understand that so as not to induce currents of opinion. We know the result when everyone else, right now I don’t know it. Once the winner has been awarded, the magazine publishes the vote of each and every one of us, so that anyone who wants to bother can do the sums to rule out the idea that the matter has been decided beforehand. The winner is the result of the criteria of one hundred journalists from as many countries according to the guidelines of those three sections.
Of course, not all of us see everything. The most important national championship matches are seen more, including ours, although the most watched is the Premier League. And you see above all the high stages of the Champions League and the final phases of the Euro Cup, Copa América and World Cup when they exist.
In that sense, those who play for important teams and selections have an advantage. It helps to be in a good team and in a good selection at the same time. And the differential character helps. I think that in 2010 the similarity of play between Iniesta and Xavi divided the vote in favor of Messi, who won it.
And they have an advantage, because it is in the first point, the players capable of doing surprising things, of extreme technical difficulty and beauty.
Personally, since I prefer to put effort into almost everything I do, I ask a dozen friends whose criteria I especially respect what they would vote for. I’m not talking about friends from the street, but colleagues with a long view of international football or football professionals. And there are differences, sometimes noticeable. So it is not surprising that the final result provokes strong discussions.
In any case, I celebrate the impressive health of the Ballon d’Or, which I have followed since its very early days. His success, above the plagiarism of FIFA and a merger attempt that was a bear hug, leaves the litany of those who want to discredit him in a bad place. Some time ago we were not so attentive. One day it was announced, then it was discussed for a couple of days, and until next year. It is since the Madrid-Barça rivalry had a new front in the Messi-Cristiano fight that the issue became present in discussions throughout the year.
