French football legend Zinedine Zidane has called for reforms to the Ballon d’Or awards, arguing that separate categories should be created to recognise achievements in club and international football.
Zidane questioned the consistency of the award organisers’ selection criteria, arguing that different standards appeared to have been applied across several categories, including the Kopa Trophy, Yashin Trophy, Gerd Müller Trophy, Club of the Year and Coach of the Year awards.
He pointed to the recognition of Lamine Yamal over Pau Cubarsí for the Kopa Trophy, Unai Simón over David Raya for the Yashin Trophy, and Harry Kane over Kylian Mbappé for the Gerd Müller Trophy as examples of decisions that, in his view, raised questions about the criteria used to determine winners.
He also questioned the apparent emphasis on Champions League success in selecting Club of the Year, compared with the importance attached to international tournament performances in the Coach of the Year category.
According to Zidane, the differing approaches have raised concerns about whether domestic league performances, Champions League achievements or international tournament success carry the greatest weight in the selection process.
He argued that introducing separate awards for club and international football would provide greater clarity and ensure that players and managers are assessed against more consistent standards.
The former France international maintained that footballers and coaches deserve recognition based on transparent and clearly defined criteria, rather than standards that appear to vary between award categories.
Zidane’s proposed reform would seek to distinguish achievements at club level from performances on the international stage, potentially giving both areas of the game clearer recognition within football’s individual awards system.
