Journalist lost right to vote on Ballon d'Or as picks showed he'd 'lost all credibility'

Former Argentina star Enrique Wolff was stripped of his Ballon d’Or voting rights due to concerns over his impartiality. The former Real Madrid and River Plate defender was deemed to have “lost objectivity” in his voting for the 2023 award, resulting in his removal from the voting panel for the 2024 edition.

Ahead of Monday’s highly anticipated vote, Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr is the clear favourite to claim his first Ballon d’Or trophy. Eight-time winner Lionel Messi – who has claimed three of the past four awards – is set to relinquish his title after Wolff’s votes contributed to his victory last year.

Wolff retired in 1981 and has gone on to have a highly successful broadcasting career, leading to him being picked as Argentina’s representative in the Ballon d’Or jury. The award’s winner is determined by a panel of international journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked men’s national teams, who vote on a 30-man shortlist compiled by French magazine France Football.

But last year’s Argentinian elector found himself ousted for allegedly losing objectivity. That’s after he named no fewer than four of his compatriots – including the mercurial Messi – among his picks for the top prize.

Forwards Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez also made the cut along with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. But it was only natural that four Albiceleste selections from the Argentinian delegate would lead to suspicions of partiality.

France Football editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia told The Times: “I am not a dictator. They vote with their heart. Some prefer attackers or midfielders, this team or that team. The important thing is to be credible. Not everyone passes that test either.

“Last year the voter for Argentina was removed after he selected four players from Argentina – Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez and Emiliano Martinez – in his top five spots. There were four Argentina players available on the shortlist and he picked all of them. My opinion was he had lost objectivity. We changed the journalist and he no longer votes.”

Messi dazzled en route to the World Cup crown alongside hotshot Alvarez, the steadfast Martinez and his Inter Milan namesake Lautaro. And in Wolff’s eye, each had apparently done enough over the course of the year to earn their shot at the trophy.

But in the interest of fair play, many may agree the Ballon d’Or vote is better served without the input of one who appeared quite so tilted in his views. And it’s a twist in the tale that Brazil stands poised to capitalise should Vinicius Junior indeed ascend to Ballon d’Or-worthy levels as expected.