"The Mozart of football." "God as a player." "You need a machine gun to stop him." This is Lionel Messi, Barcelona's Argentinian forward. Back in December, he was voted once again the best footballer on the planet. It was the sixth time he had won the Ballon d'OrAn annual football award presented by the French magazine France Football since 1956. French for "Golden Ball", the Ballon d'Or is voted on by three representatives from every country: the national team manager, the national team captain, and a journalist. .

The age of the international football superstar has coincided with a decade when two players have emerged above the rest. Between them, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have won the Ballon d'Or 11 times in the last 12 years. From classrooms in China to offices in London, the debate has raged: Messi or Ronaldo? The Fifa Ballon d'Or has become an annual decider between the two.

But last month, officials announced that the prestigious award would be cancelled this year due to the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Messi keeps his prize for another year.

Individual awards in football go back a long way. From 1956 to 2009 the Ballon d'Or was exclusively for players based in Europe. So PeleMany still see Pele as the greatest-ever footballer. The Brazilian played most of his games for Santos (his team in Brazil) before moving to the New York Cosmos. He won three World Cups with Brazil in 1958, 1962, and 1970. The forlorn image of Pele limping out of the 1966 World Cup illustrates the lack of protection by referees., who only ever played in the Americas, never won it. The first winner was Englishman Stanley MatthewsThe former Stoke City and Blackpool winger was one of the greatest English players of all time. By the time he retired in 1965, he was 50 years old..

In the early years of the Ballon d'Or, football had not become a globalised sport. Yes, every country played football, but there was little interaction between different regions. Despite Pele being rated by many as the greatest player of all time, few in Europe saw him play more than half a dozen times, whereas almost every game featuring Messi or Ronaldo is shown live on British television.

All this has combined to increase the importance of the Ballon d'Or. Cristiano Ronaldo makes it clear that individual awards motivate him as powerfully as winning trophies with his club. He often does not celebrate with his teammates when another player scores for Juventus.

When Luka Modric won the award in 2018, he described it as a "very special" moment. The Croatian was awarded the prize for his performance for Real Madrid where he won the Champions League. Modric also led his international team to the final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Football needs to keep a record of the greatest players over the decades, say advocates of the Ballon d'Or. And anyone in any job is motivated by personal awards and appreciation, whether that means being crowned the best footballer or simply employee of the month. If individual awards motivate people to perform well, they serve a beneficial purpose.

But Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger, usually dear enemies, agree that the Ballon d'Or is bad for the game. They believe such awards detract from the idea of football as a team sport. Mourinho has said, "For me, football is collective. The individual is welcome if you want to make our group better." Players should aim to help their team win. And in winning, they will be remembered.