Garcia keeps the Ballon d’Or vote secret, controversy intensifies

Vincent Garcia, head of France Football, again refused to disclose his vote immediately after the Ballon d’Or ceremony, stating that the ballots will be published in Saturday’s magazine, i.e., the same day as the award presentation. This decision was announced immediately after the event, sparking a debate about the transparency of the process.

Votes published in the magazine

Garcia explained: “You’ll find it in France Football on Saturday because I told the juror not to reveal their vote before the magazine, so I’ll do it myself.” He thus justified his refusal to hand over the vote to the media.

Since the Ballon d’Or announcement, many voters have disclosed their choices, including journalists from Colombia, Kosovo, Vietnam, Romania, Belarus, Ecuador and Croatia, prompting strong criticism of their selections.

Controversy over Zdravko Reic’s ranking

Zdravko Reic, Croatian juror since 1992, placed Rodri in first place, ahead of Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi. In his top, Kylian Mbappé appears in fifth place, Harry Kane in sixth, Ferran Torres in fourth and Pau Cubarsi in seventh, while Lamine Yamal does not appear at all in the top ten.

Vincent Garcia refuses to reveal his Ballon d’Or vote, controversy

The absence of the Barcelona striker sparked strong reactions; supporters cried scandal and demanded the dismissal of the Croatian journalist.

When questioned by the Croatian media, Reic offered his apologies, stating: “I must admit that I made a mistake by ranking Kane so low…”. He added that the World Cup performances had been decisive in his vote.

He went on to claim that Rodri was the best player of the World Cup, that he wanted to honour the Norwegians and that Messi had carried Argentina to the final. Regarding Yamal, he explained: “I know this will cause controversy but his role in Spain’s victories was minor. The World Cup is the pinnacle.”

Samir Nasri protests against the Ballon d’Or given to Harry Kane

The debate shows that, despite the promise of confidentiality, the Ballon d’Or votes remain widely debated in the media.