Serious accusations shake France Football's Ballon d'Or
After long weeks of suspense, the evening stretched on until nearly midnight before the verdict fell: Harry Kane was crowned Ballon d’Or. A surprise for many, as the latest trends hinted at a duel between Kylian Mbappé and the young Lamine Yamal.
Expectations and surprise of the vote
Before the announcement, the trio of top favorites was dominated by the French Mbappé and the Spanish prodigy Yamal, both seen as heirs to the title. The victory of the Englishman, however present in the trio, therefore overturned the predictions and surprised observers of world football.
Vincent Garcia declares the politics of the trophy
France Football's editor-in-chief, Vincent Garcia, commented on the result to L’Équipe, stating: “Mbappé ran a very good campaign. Others ran a poor campaign, like PSG. I think they should have pushed for Ousmane Dembélé.” He thus highlighted that the Ballon d’Or had become a matter of media campaign.
These remarks have fueled the debate about the very nature of the award, judged by some as more political than sporting. Fans have expressed a certain disgust at what they perceive as an “overdose” of debate surrounding the trophy.
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The Football Hopes account responded by stating: “Well, it reassures me when I see the comments. There is unanimity regarding these frivolous statements from the Ballon d’Or boss… This trophy is politics rather than sport.” Another comment added: “And it is all the more ridiculous that Kane won without running a campaign, neither he, nor his country, nor his club.”
Harry Kane, even though he has occasionally mentioned the Ballon d’Or in interviews, has never launched a genuine media operation to promote himself, unlike other candidates. This lack of campaign has reinforced the feeling that the result was unexpected.
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The controversy sparked by Garcia's statements and the online reactions shows that the Ballon d’Or is now seen as a communication issue. Observers are already questioning the evolution of the voting process for future editions.