List of winners published? Ballon d’Or election causes a stir

Has the world footballer, who is not supposed to be crowned for a month or so, already been determined? A photo that is circulating on the Internet raises questions. If you can believe this, FC Bayern would have reason to be happy.

An alleged data leak sparked discussion before the Golden Ball was awarded to the world’s best footballer. An alleged list of winners for the honor, which will be awarded in Paris on November 29, is circulating on Twitter. The question of the authenticity of the document is discussed intensively among users, also with a view to the ranking that can be recognized in the photo with an unclear origin.

Accordingly, Robert Lewandowski (33) would receive the trophy from Bayern this year. Record winner Lionel Messi (34) is in second place, superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (36) only in ninth place. Other screenshots, on the other hand, list PSG star Lionel Messi as the winner, who would take the trophy for the seventh time.

Trade magazine so far without reaction

This ranking and, above all, the disappointing placement of the Portuguese Ronaldo from Manchester United causes greater doubts on the internet as to whether these can really be the real results of the election. There was initially no reaction from the French specialist magazine “France Football” to the publication of the alleged list of winners. The magazine organizes the Ballon d’Or election.

Lewandowski is definitely one of the 30 nominees for the election, as “France Football” recently announced. The top striker had been elected Fifa world footballer last year and was also considered a favorite for the Ballon d’Or. Due to the corona pandemic, the award of the Golden Ball was canceled in 2020.

There is no German player among the candidates for the Ballon d’Or this year. The winners of the Ballon d’Or, which has been awarded since 1956, are chosen by international specialist journalists. Between 2010 and 2015, the election took place under the umbrella of the world association Fifa, as a replacement for the election for World Footballer of the Year. “France Football” has been awarding the Golden Ball itself again since 2016. Messi is the record holder with six awards, and Ronaldo has received the award five times so far.