The award, which has been presented every year since 1956, will take a break in 2020 according to France Football, the French news magazine that awards the trophy, also known as the "Golden Ball."

"There will be no edition of the Ballon d'Or in 2020," said Pascal Ferre, editor-in-chief of France Football.

"After thoughtful consideration, we believe that such a singular year cannot - and should not - be treated as an ordinary one.

"From a sports perspective, two months {January and February}, out of the eleven generally required to form an opinion and decide who should lift the trophies, represent far too little to gauge and judge, without forgetting that the other games were played – or will be played – in unordinary conditions.

"Finally, the equity that prevails for this honorary title will not be warranted, especially when it comes to accounting and preparation - all the award seekers will not be in the same boat, some having seen their season cut short.

 "Therefore, how can we establish a fair comparison?

"To avoid overly convoluted calculations and projections, we chose the least bad of the options.

"This decision does not delight us but it seems to be the most responsible one. 

"Protecting the credibility and legitimacy of such an award also means ensuring its flawlessness over time.

"The Ballon d’Or will gather again the football big family and enthusiasts in 2021, to relive the happiness that surrounds the ceremonies as we have experienced them in recent years."

Since 2018, a women's Ballon d'Or has also been handed out, although this award will also take a break this year as will the two others traditionally given at the ceremony - the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player and the Yachine Trophy, awarded to the best goalkeeper.

The current holder of the Ballon d'Or is Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who has won the prize a record six times.