‘I Still Don't Quite Understand…’: World Cup Winner Francesco Totti Questions the Ballon d'Or award

Once considered the height of individual football honours, the Ballon d'Or has drawn increasing criticism in recent years. While the award was formerly used to recognise a player's remarkable skill and contributions to the sport, questions have been raised about its truthfulness. The credibility that this distinguished award once carried has been damaged by the widespread argument that the laureate is chosen more for public relations purposes than for their actual achievement.

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World Cup winner Francesco Totti questions the credibility of Ballon d’Or

Declaring his uncertainty about the Ballon d'Or choosing procedure and lack of knowledge of the criteria used, Francesco Totti asked if the honours go to athletes from teams with the most trophy success or to the players that have individually performed the best.

Totti remembered his almost missed Ballon d'Or for the 2000-01 season in an interview with Betsson. Saying that he never really paid much attention to the esteemed France Football Award during his his career as a player for AS Roma, he said:

“It's one of the most prestigious trophies in football, but I never prioritized it. I still don't quite understand the criteria used for awarding it. Is the winner the strongest player, or is it the one who has won more titles with their team? The closest I got to winning this title was in 2000-2001. Had we won the European Championship, perhaps the situation would have been different.”

The Ballon d'Or for this year will be handed later this month, with Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham as the leading candidates. Rodri and Dani Carvajal are also seen as possibilities; however, their attendance at the ceremony remains doubtful owing to their continuing recuperation from ACL injuries.

It has been reported that Vinicius Jr. is aware that he will be the Ballon d’Or winner, the Real Madrid No. 7 has successfully filled the shoes of the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo. Cristiano Ronaldo won 5 of these awards 4 of which came during his time at Real Madrid. 

Real Madrid won the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League last season with Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal playing a key role for the Spanish giants.