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rance Football has announced they will not award the Ballon d’Or trophy in 2020 due to a “lack of sufficient fair conditions” after the suspension or cancellation of elite level football due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

France Football, who organises and awards the most prestigious individual prize in world football, said it “did not want to put an indelible asterisk” on the award in the wake of COVID-19, saying “we will always prefer a small sprain (to our history) to a large scar”.

“A single year cannot, and should not, be treated as an ordinary year,” France Football said, in a statement.

“When in doubt, it is better to abstain than to persist.

“The fairness that prevails for this honorary title could not be preserved, in particular at the statistical level and also in terms of preparation since all the aspirants to the award could not be housed in the same boat, some having seen their season cut off radically, others not.

“So how do you compare the incomparable?” the statement said, mentioning the resumption of the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, and Bundesliga, while Ligue 1 cancelled its 2019-20 schedule at the onset of the pandemic.

“The Ballon d’Or story is too precious to take the risk of damaging it with a wobbly exercise,” France Football said.

“In these turbulent times, taking a break is a luxury and an invaluable necessity.

“So that football, as a whole, regains momentum and passion and emotion,” the statement said.

The announcement marks the first time the Ballon d’Or will not be awarded since it began in 1956.