Defenders face even greater challenge to win Ballon d’Or, says 2006 winner Fabio Cannavaro

SINGAPORE – Winning the Ballon d’Or has always been a challenge for defenders, but according to Italian legend Fabio Cannavaro, the task has become even more difficult with the evolving demands of modern football.

The former centre-back is the last defender to claim the most prestigious individual award in football. He won it in 2006, when he captained the Azzurri to their World Cup win, in which they did not concede from open play.

Speaking to The Straits Times at an event organised by blockchain company Chiliz at Robertson Quay on Sept 18, the 51-year-old said: “I don’t see a lot of defenders (winning it), even more now because the philosophy as a defender is completely different.”

But he believes defenders should still be recognised for their contributions.

“In Italy, we say with the strikers, you sell the tickets, (but) with the defenders, you win the trophy,” he added. “So sometimes, defenders (or even) goalkeepers should win the trophy.”

When asked what a defender needs to do to take home the world’s best footballer award, Cannavaro continued: “Amazing season. Try to win the Champions League, (domestic) leagues, the World Cup. The performance during the World Cup should be great... (he) should be a leader. Maybe he needs to do something really, really special.

“Sometimes it’s impossible... because people think the goal is key to football, of course, but sometimes saving the goal is really important.”

Cannavaro picked Real Madrid’s Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr and Manchester City’s Spanish defensive midfielder Rodri as the top candidiates for the 2024 Ballon d’Or.

He said: “Vinicius Jr was really good with Madrid in the Uefa Champions League last year. Rodri also has a chance to win, because with the national team, they had amazing performances. He did well in three tournaments (the Champions League, Premier League and Euro 2024), so I think both of them have a chance to win.”

While he was also the last Italian to win the Ballon d’Or, he said it is difficult to say when a fellow countryman will win the award in the near future.

While the Azzurri won Euro 2020, they failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup and were knocked out in the round of 16 at Euro 2024.

Cannavaro said: “But of course, our culture is football. Our history means a lot. And we’ll have more Ballon d’Ors, we’ll try to win more World Cups.”

To reach that target, he feels the Serie A teams, Italy’s domestic league, needs to attract more sponsors to invest in more academies and facilities to produce young talent and improve their results.

Cannavaro was in town as an ambassador of Serie A, and spoke about the league’s latest collaboration with Socios.com, Chiliz’s fan engagement platform.

In 2023, the blockchain provider introduced the Game-Scored ball initiative, where non-fungible tokens (NFT)-chipped balls allow fans to own balls scored by their favourite players by auctioning for them.

Cannavaro also paid tribute to former striker Salvatore Schillaci, whose death was announced on Sept 18. Schillaci won the Golden Boot with six goals at the 1990 World Cup and helped Italy finish third on home soil.

“Everyone has good memories about Toto (Schillaci’s nickname),” Cannavaro said. “He was the face of the World Cup in Italy. He’s an amazing player, and everyone will miss him.”