Vincent Garcia refuses to reveal his Ballon d’Or vote, controversy
At the conclusion of the Ballon d’Or ceremony, the head of France Football, Vincent Garcia, again refused to disclose his voting ballot, stating that the full set of votes would be published in the official Saturday issue of the magazine.
He justified his choice by stating: « 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 ». This stance immediately raised questions among observers.
Since the Ballon d’Or announcement, several voters have made their ballots public. Among them, journalists from Colombia, Kosovo, Vietnam, Romania, Belarus, Ecuador and Croatia have shared their rankings. Their revelations have sparked strong criticism of their selections. These disclosures have fueled the debate over the transparency of the voting process.
The controversial ranking of Zdravko Reic
Zdravko Reic, Croatian juror since 1992, placed midfielder Rodri in first place, ahead of Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi. Kylian Mbappé appears in fifth place, while Harry Kane is only sixth. Ferran Torres is fourth, Pau Cubarsi seventh, and Lamine Yamal is absent from the top 10.
Samir Nasri protests against the Ballon d’Or given to Harry Kane
The absence of the FC Barcelona striker from the top 10 sparked strong reactions. Some supporters cried scandal and demanded the dismissal of the Croatian journalist. The debate even led some forums to call for a revision of the voting rules.
The Croatian journalist's mea culpa
When questioned by the Croatian media, Reic offered his apologies, stating: « I must admit that I made a mistake by placing Kane so low… ». He clarified that the World Cup results had guided his judgment, adding that « Rodri was the best player of the World Cup, I also wanted to pay tribute to the Norwegians and Messi carried Argentina to the final ».
Regarding Lamine Yamal, he acknowledged that his exclusion would provoke controversy, stating: « I know this will draw criticism but his role in Spain’s victories was minor. The World Cup is the pinnacle ». The continued silence of the head of France Football on individual votes reinforces suspicions of manipulation.