The Ballon d'Or will not be awarded this year for the first time in its 64-year history after the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the football calendar, organizers France Football magazine said on Monday. 

The prestigious Ballon d'Or, voted for by journalists and organised by French magazine France Football, is an annual prize awarded to the best male footballer in the world since 1956. The women's Ballon d'Or was first awarded in 2018. 

"There will be no edition in 2020, because it turns out, after thoughtful consideration, that all the conditions are not met," said Pascal Ferre, the editor of the magazine. 

"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," the statement added.

The 2019-20 season has been ravaged by the pandemic, with France's Ligue 1 being the most high-profile division in Europe to cancel the remainder of its campaign due to coronavirus, while the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga all resuming after a three-month break.

The final stages of the Champions League, from the quarter-finals onwards, has also been rescheduled as a mini-tournament in Portugal next month. 

Lionel Messi won last year to pick up his sixth Ballon d'Or overall, with Cristiano Ronaldo a five-time winner. Only Luka Modric broke this 12-year duopoly when winning in 2018.

(With input from agencies)