France Football, the organizers of the Ballon d’Or, have said it is possible to win the award without lifting any trophies in the year under review.
The clarification was made in a statement on their official website on Tuesday.
They noted that there have been six cases in the past, with the last being Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013.
Long before Ronaldo, Denis Law achieved the feat in 1964 and Gerd Muller did same in 1970.
Kevin Keegan, in 1978, and then Luis Figo, in 2000, also managed to win football’s most prestigious individual award despite a trophyless season.
On the women’s side, it has never happened since the trophy was created in 2018.
This year’s winners will be announced at an event on October 26 in London.