Ballon d'Or Voting Data Revealed as Official Judge Reveals Pick
Ballon d'Or voting data has been revealed as an official judge revealed his pick for the award.
Ousmane Dembele was recognised as the best player in the world following an outstanding season with PSG. The 28-year-old scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists as the French giants completed a historic treble, ending their long wait for a Champions League crown.
The Ballon d'Or is voted for by journalists representing all of the top 100 countries in FIFA rankings. Each journalist chooses a top 10, with points distributed to players based on their rankings, with 15 points for first, 12 for second, 10 for third and so on.
France Football editor-in chief Vincent Garcia declared that "it wasn't a competition," with Dembele winning convincingly. He said: "Ousmane Dembélé won by a wide margin. He earned the overwhelming support of our Ballon d'Or judges.
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"He's a Ballon d'Or winner who appears to be a strong choice for our judges. Ousmane Dembélé won by a wide margin on every continent, whether in Africa, Europe, South America, or North America.
"Vitinha achieved some first places, Achraf Hakimi too, but very few. A clear and unequivocal Ballon d'Or."
What about Lamine Yamal?
Not everyone agreed that Dembele should take home the prestigious prize.
Spain's representative Alfredo Relano revealed that he had picked Lamine Yamal first, with Vitinha second and Dembele third.
Yamal enjoyed a successful season with Barcelona, scoring 18 goals as the Catalan giants completed a domestic treble.
However, they fell short in the UEFA Champions League, losing a thrilling semi-final to Inter Milan.
Despite that, Yamal walked away with the Kopa Trophy, which is awarded to the best player under the age of 21.
At just 18, there will be plenty more opportunities for the young Spaniard to claim a Ballon d'Or in the future.
Who else made the Ballon d'Or top 10?
Vitinha finished third in the rankings.
Following a successful season with PSG, he was instrumental in Portugal's Nations League triumph.
Liverpool's Mo Salah was forced to settle for fourth place, despite a remarkable Premier League season, in which he scored 29 goals and provided 18 assists.
Ultimately, Liverpool's early exit from the Champions League limited Salah in the voting.
Raphinha came fifth, ahead of Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappe.
The top 10 was rounded out by Cole Palmer, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Nuno Mendes.
It meant PSG dominated the top 10, with five players from their treble-winning squad making the list.
Topics: Ballon d'Or, FC Barcelona, Football, Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembele, PSG, Champions League
James Taylor