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Cristiano Ronaldo And Lionel Messi To Help Judge New Ballon d'Or Award

Cristiano Ronaldo And Lionel Messi To Help Judge New Ballon d'Or Award

The pair have won 10 Ballon d'Ors between them so they're perfectly placed to hand out the new Kepa Award for the best under 21 player.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

The Ballon d'Or with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo teaming up together rather than being rivals? What is this madness? The pair will join forces to form part of the panel for one of the Ballon d'Ors newest awards.

No one is anywhere near as synonymous with the Ballon d'Or as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. For the past 10 years the pair have had a duopoly on the most prestigious single person award in football.

The two sit on five a piece and Cristiano Ronaldo could actually stretch out his lead when this year's award is handed out in December. Equally it could be the first time in over a decade someone stops them from winning, with Luka Modric the most likely to end the streak.

This year though the pair won't just be suited and booted to receive awards and they'll actually be doubling up as judges as the Ballon d'Or awards two new awards, although they're only judging one of them.

Messi, Ronaldo and numerous other former Ballon d'Or winners will all help judge on the brand new Kopa Award to decide the best under 21 player in the world, named after the very first Ballon d'Or winner from 1958, Raymond Kopa.

Ronaldo with his five awards last December. Image: PA Images
Ronaldo with his five awards last December. Image: PA Images

Let's be honest if anyone other than Kylian Mbappe wins it this year, December 3rd when this year's ceremony is, then it'll be an absolute theft on the young Frenchman.

As well as helping PSG to win Ligue 1 the 19 year old also helped France to win the World Cup, scoring a goal in the final against Croatia and becoming the first teenager to do so since Pele.


Mbappe won the award for best young player at the World Cup. Image: PA Images
Mbappe won the award for best young player at the World Cup. Image: PA Images

As well as the Kopa Award there will also be the brand new Ballon d'Or Feminin, which will determine the best female player in the world, handed out at the beginning of December.

The announcements come on the day that FIFA hand out their own 'The Best' awards which includes the best male and female players as well as best goal of the year, best fans, and the FIFPro World XI.

Tonight's ceremony takes place in London and Ronaldo is expected to win it for the third year in a row.

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Football News, Lionel Messi, Ballon d'Or, Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo

Ryan is a writer for SPORTbible. He covers all sport from football, formula one, cricket, rugby, tennis, athletics, mma and wrestling. He obviously hates YOUR football team and has no interest in synchronised swimming.

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@Sidler28