Cristiano Ronaldo is elected “Ballon d’Or of All Time”. Ahead of Lionel Messi. That’s historic. I’m weighing my words. And ten seconds later, it’s a disgrace. I’m weighing that too.
Historic because we’re voting for eternity. A disgrace because eternity cost €1 a click. The online vote lasted 48 hours, run by France Football during the gala, before Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or on Monday. More than 5,000 people reportedly voted more than once, 300 of them more than five times. Five times. In my WhatsApp group, “Sunday Devils”, we vote once to pick the chip shop, and my brother-in-law still contests it.
Now, the table. Ronaldo wins with his 2008 Ballon d’Or, Messi is second with his 2012 one. The two of them take the first 12 places. Ronaldo Nazário 13th, Johan Cruijff 17th, Franz Beckenbauer 19th. Cruijff, seventeenth. I had to put my chips down. Platini, Van Basten and Rummenigge were among the nominees too, all multiple winners. Only they could enter.
The article says it’s more of a popularity poll, and that this one-off prize is a bit contested. I’m not saying that because I’m a supporter. Well, yes: I have no Belgian candidate, so I’m a supporter of the counting.
And the best part: tickets for the next gala were drawn by lot among the voters. So you pay to vote, and you can win a seat at the next gala. Now that’s a model. My season ticket in stand 2 could take notes, mind you, it’s already going up faster than the league table.
They used to elect the players. Now they elect their years. Well. It’s the times.
Historic, really. Well, not bad. Now we take it vote by vote, you know.
It’s true, we checked: HLN.
