Any year with the world cup is always more complicated than other normal years of local leagues and continental games. Sometimes the award is given against the fans expectations like in 2018 when Modric won the Balon d'Or ahead or Christiano Ronaldo who was the fans favourite just because Croatia made it to the world cup finals. Does this mean that if a player had won the league, the champions and some other local trophies but his country couldn't qualify for the world cup, what will you his fate?
I just think that this award should be better based on individual stats instead of using titles and team achievements to give individual awards. If this is done, it will be clearer to understand the grounds for issuing this prestigious award to anyone.
I will like to look back to the old Balon D'or award and the criteria used when making votes for player, you will be shock that goal were not the only criteria used for Balon D'or. In fact, I do think Ronaldo was favour in the history by this award than other players, this was never how it was done that's why I see Modric criteria not controversial like they talk about, it's a deserve Balon D'or to be honest but I guess our generation is used to the goals scored in the season.
The organizers are going to decid on what they want, if goals favour most of the players, they are going to use it and if other criteria is what they are going to use, we will see the winner on that very day. I just think that the organizers can't make everyone to be happy, the same way they called Fifa by names, some people are going to do worse that day if their candidates did not win.