Tactical voting, bad jokes, a cringe-worthy ceremony and strange selections saw FIFA's famous gala endure an embarrassing edition Monday - and it's nothing new, writes Ben Hayward.
The Ballon d'Or is descending into farce. There was no doubt about the winner in Monday's ceremony in Zurich, with Lionel Messi deserving of the individual prize. But apart from that, there really wasn't much to like about the event at all.
It has been coming. Ever since FIFA took over the running of the Ballon d'Or from France Football in 2010, there have been complaints about the award.