FIFA will not be renewing their £13million Ballon d’Or contract with France Football.
Which means the again be two annual awards as Gianni Infantino and Co. will resurrect the Fifa World Player of the Year gong.
The Ballon d’Or has been in existence since 1956 and has often caused controversy.
Many claim the award is politically motivated — while others insist it’s a reward for personality not performance.
So here are 11 times the result could have been different.
David Beckham — 1999
Manchester United’s No.7 finished runner-up to Rivaldo in the year he helped his side win the famous Treble.
Yes, he was the star of both the team Barcelona which won La Liga and the Brazil side which claimed a Copa America title.
But Beckham was instrumental in helping United’s — certainly in English terms — unequalled success.
And if it is a reward for personality, who has more than Becks?
Ronaldo — 1996
The Brazilian was then the world’s most-expensive player after Barcelona had paid PSV Eindhoven £13.2million for his services.
He has started the season at the Nou Camp in sensational form and won the Fifa World Player of the Year.
However, Borussia Dortmund’s title-winning captain and star of Germany’s Euro 96 player of the tournament, Matthias Sammer, won the award.
Ronaldo would get his hands on it a year later, but surely he deserved it in 1996.
Paolo Maldini
The AC Milan defender NEVER won the award.
Arguably the greatest full-back to ever play football — and winner of FIVE European Cups/Champions Leagues, seven Serie A titles and two Intercontinental Cups came closest in 1995 when he finished as runner-up to team-mate, George Weah.
He also finished in third place in 1994 and in 2003.
The man made 902 appearances for one club and played for 24 seasons — he gave the powers that be every possible chance.
Watch ALL the goals from the Premier League before anyone else for FREE plus all the latest news, fixtures and results and live match commentary all on the go with the new Sun Football App – click here to download
Paul Scholes
The United central midfielder never got a look in.
It’s remarkable — even in 2003 when he scored 20 goals in all competitions, he received no votes.
Scholes has often been referenced by some of football’s best as the greatest midfielder of his generation.
Perhaps his shy and quiet nature — before retiring — hindered his chances.
Related Stories
Thierry Henry — 2003
Pavel Nedved, who won the award, was a pretty worth winner, to be fair.
He almost single-handedly led Juventus to the Champions League final, where he missed the defeat through suspension.
But Henry was on a different planet in the Premier League.
Had Arsenal held onto their early-season lead over United and won the title, his cause would have been much stronger.
Thierry Henry — 2004
It’s almost unfathomable to think Henry never won it!
He was the undoubted star of an Arsenal side which went unbeaten.
Now, 2004 winner Andriy Shevechenko was great as Milan won the title — the only one of his San Siro career — but there were so many more worthy candidates.
Runner-up Deco lead Porto to Champions League success, while Henry actually finished fourth — just ahead of Greece’s Theo Zagorakis — as Ronaldinho slipped into third.
Anyone in 2001
Michael Owen was the winner for his part in Liverpool’s ‘treble’ of FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup.
Runner up was Raul, who had scored 32 goals in all competitions — while Oliver Kahn was the hero as Bayern Munich were crowed European champions for the first time in 25 years.
But the clear winner was Francesco Totti who performed out of his skin to win the title in Serie A.
Even Beckham — who finished in fourth place — would have had something to say about that after winning a Premier League title and sending England to the World Cup.
Alessandro Nesta in 2000
Defenders very rarely win the top awards — but surely this man deserved a mention for his performances with Lazio.
Nesta was just pure class as, under Sven-Goran Eriksson, he helped his boyhood club win a first Serie A title for 26 years.
Lazio also won the Coppa Italia that year before the classy centre-back helped Italy reach the Euro 2000 final.
Nesta was tied fifth with Rivaldo as Luis Figo romped to victory.
Roberto Carlos in 2002
Ronaldo was the obvious, glamour candidate following his World Cup redemption.
The Brazilian won the Golden Boot as the Samba stars won a fifth title — four years after disappointment in France.
But Olive Kahn was actually named Player of the Tournament, while Carlos won also won the Champions League with Real Madrid.
Ronaldo, himself, admitted his international team-mate should have topped the list rather than finishing as runner up.
Wesley Sneijder in 2010
The award's farce in the competition’s history.
Lionel Messi was the first winner following the merge — while Fifa favourites Andres Iniesta and Xavi followed.
Sneijder was the star as unfancied Inter won an unprecedented Treble.
And, if that wasn’t enough, he finished as joint-World Cup tournament when unfancied Holland reached the final.
Leave a comment