The Super Ballon d'Or is supposed to be given once every 30 years, so after 1989 it should've been awarded in 2019. But they didn't give it then - probably because Ronaldo was clearly ahead of Messi in the GOAT debate at that time. But they're giving in 2029 now, all planned.

The story of the Super Ballon d’Or – the prestigious award that is only awarded once every 30 years – is becoming a hotly debated topic in the football community. According to schedule, after Alfredo Di Stéfano won the award in 1989, the next one was supposed to be awarded in 2019. But 2019 passed in silence. No explanation. No announcement. No signal from France Football.

And that is what sparked a huge debate: why wasn’t it awarded in 2019?

Cristiano Ronaldo fans – and a fair number of neutral experts – gave a reason that they considered “too obvious”: in 2019, Ronaldo was ahead of Messi in the GOAT debate. At that time, Ronaldo had the superiority in his national team career, European titles, Champions League goals, global influence and stable performance at many different clubs. If the 2019 Super Ballon d’Or was awarded, the person who “touched” it was almost certainly Ronaldo.

But the award did not appear. And people believe that it was not a coincidence.

Fans began to ask: Did France Football deliberately delay it for 10 years?

It was even more surprising when recently, international media revealed that the Super Ballon d’Or will return in 2029 – exactly 40 years after the first award, instead of 30 years as originally stipulated.

Why 2029?

Why not 2019?

Why was it “postponed” in an inexplicable way to 2029 – the time when Messi had retired or was at the end of his career while Ronaldo had also left the field?

Many people believe that everything was cleverly “set up”. When Messi had not yet surpassed Ronaldo in 2019, awarding the Super Ballon d’Or at that time would have tilted the GOAT debate heavily towards CR7. But if we wait until 2029, when the memory of his peak form has faded, when Messi has the 2022 World Cup in his record, when the media is more inclined towards the Argentine star… then the balance will change.

And most importantly: choosing 2029 gives France Football the freedom to decide without being directly compared to the original 30-year mark, minimizing the controversy that they “avoided” awarding Ronaldo.

Many football fans said frankly:

“2019 was the only fair time to award the Super Ballon d’Or. Now they changed it to 2029 just to ensure the person they want to win will win.”

Of course, France Football did not give any explanation. They were silent – and that silence only made more people suspect that this was a calculated decision, not a random change.

The biggest question remains:

Who will be awarded the 2029 Super Ballon d’Or?

And is it really the most deserving, or just the one who fits the “plan” of those in power?

Whatever the answer, one thing is for sure:

The Ronaldo-Messi debate will never end, and the 2029 Super Ballon d’Or will only make that war more fierce than ever.