Does the Ballon D'OR Actually Matter?

Does it?

Honestly, when you think about it in football terms and what the sport is really about, why is there now so much importance on what is essentially an award that is given rather than earned?





I remember back in the day, when Ronaldo, Weah, Zidane won the Ballon D'OR awards. There wasn't much fanfare, it didn't take up all the newspaper slots. It was just what it was. Everyone knew they were the best individuals, and they came in their suit, took their award and went home.

Key difference though...

Those players knew winning a trophy that recognised you as the best player in the world for that given year, was not enough to validate your status in the game. Sure, it was a nice thing to have and put on your mantle at home, but in the football world it meant little to nothing.

It was about winning that league title, cup title, the Champions League. And more importantly, winning your continental cup and the big one that happens every four years in the summer where the eyes of the world are watching.

All that has changed now. I don't know when or how it happened, but suddenly the Ballon D'OR ceremony has become one of the main events. It's talked about a lot more and somehow, it's seen as just as important as winning a football trophy.

Times have changed though, and you have to look at the emergence of social media. The way in which the superstars are reported on now, how much access we have to them and how they can interact with their millions of fans is very different to how it was before.

Also, with the Ballon D'OR, the man on the street feels they can affect the outcome much more than a World Cup. It's essentially a popularity contest, so the superstar with the most tweets and retweets essentially gets the nods, not the the player who has actually played the best football during the twelve months.

You also have to take into account that during a big event, you are helpless. You've got to sit there, biting your nails, and hope that through the power of divine intervention you can will your team to victory.

That tactic doesn't always work unfortunately.

So this is a hard question to ask and only time will tell. I have no idea whether in twenty years time, people will look back and judge the best players of the past by how many Ballon D'ORS they have won.

I just don't know.

My only hope is that we keep it with football. We take away the popularity contest and go back to giving the spotlight and meaning to the World Cups, Champions Leagues and so forth. As that is where football started, and hopefully...it is where it will end when or if this world gets destroyed.







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 HH