Former pro Babbel slams Ballon d’Or as the biggest clown competition

The Ballon d’Or will be awarded on Monday at 21:00 CET in London by the magazine France Football in cooperation with UEFA. The German former national player Markus Babbel, once a former professional, expresses sharp criticism: He calls the vote a “biggest clown competition” in football.

Handling of the vote irritates Babbel

Babbel emphasizes that he is not a fan of the Ballon d’Or. In an interview with “ran” he said: “Well, I would basically abolish such a personal vote in a team sport like football.” He laughs every time a player or an entire club is offended because they are not selected.

We see the Ballon d’Or as a product of international football that each year draws the attention of the whole world. The competition is organized by France Football, with each juror coming from the top‑100 nations in men’s sport and the top‑50 nations in women’s sport. Each selects ten actors from the best 30 players and awards between 15 and one point.

The award ceremony on Monday will be broadcast live, and Babbel hopes that the debate about the handling of the vote will continue. Fans and media will follow the result in the evening at 21:00 CET.