Errors in Ballon d'Or Voting Process
The 2024 Ballon d'Or award has come under scrutiny following revelations of voting errors by journalists involved in the selection process. The prestigious award, which honors the best football player in the world, was awarded to Rodrigo Hernandez, known as Rodri, from Manchester City. He narrowly edged out Brazilian star Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid, receiving 1,170 votes compared to Vinicius's 1,129 votes.
Panamanian journalist Campo Elias Estrada admitted to making two significant "technical" errors while submitting his votes. In an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca, Estrada explained that he encountered problems with the voting platform, which led to disorganized selections. He stated, "I faced many problems when choosing the best 10 players... the numbers were scattered without any order." Despite his intention to rank Vinicius as his top choice, Rodri mistakenly appeared in fifth place due to these errors.
Estrada's voting choices were not officially recognized by France Football magazine, which oversees the Ballon d'Or. His intended top ten included Vinicius Junior, Lamine Jamal, and Jude Bellingham, but due to the technical issues, the results did not reflect his actual preferences. He expressed regret over the mistakes, stating, "This has never happened to me before. My vote was fair, without supporting any team."
Additional Voting Errors Revealed
Estrada was not alone in facing voting discrepancies. Finnish journalist Juha Kanerva also reported a similar issue, stating that Rodri was incorrectly listed as his top choice due to a technical error. Kanerva announced his resignation from the Ballon d'Or jury in light of these voting complications, reflecting the growing concern over the integrity of the voting process.
The controversy surrounding the Ballon d'Or voting has raised questions about the reliability of the selection process and the potential for errors that could influence the outcome of such a prestigious award. As the football community reacts to these revelations, it remains to be seen how France Football will address these issues moving forward.
