Ballon d’Or: France Football reminds that a player can be awarded without a team title.

France Football, the organizer of the Ballon d’Or, reiterated that a player can win the prestigious individual award without having secured any collective trophy during the considered year. In a statement released Tuesday on its official website, the French magazine listed several precedents in the trophy’s history. Six players have been named Ballon d’Or winners despite a title-less season, the most recent being Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013.

Before the Portuguese forward, Denis Law achieved this feat in 1964, followed by Gerd Müller in 1970. Kevin Keegan, the winner in 1978, and Luis Figo, crowned in 2000, are also among the players awarded without winning a collective title during the assessed period. These precedents show that a player’s record with their club or national team is not a mandatory condition to win the Ballon d’Or. Individual performances remain at the core of the evaluation criteria.

On the women’s side, however, there have been no such precedents since the creation of the women’s Ballon d’Or in 2018. The winners of the upcoming editions will be revealed on October 26 during the ceremony held in London. The issue of the weight of collective titles could therefore spark debates around the prestigious trophy once again.