The Golden Ball will return to its roots in January. The award was established in 1956 by sports magazine France Football and after 40 years it was amalgamated with the FIFA World Player of the Year award to form the “FIFA Golden Ball”. New FIFA President Gianni Infantino has failed to reach an agreement between his organisation and France Football magazine has announced that it will no longer be associated with the award.
 

In the last five years, the winner was decided by votes cast by managers and captains of each nation affiliated to FIFA. Now the voting system will return to its origins with just sports journalists deciding who will be crowned the world’s best player. Cristiano Ronaldo is a strong favourite already to lift the trophy for the fourth time but this would be his first Balon d’Or with his other three coming under the title of FIFA Golden Ball.


S.M