4 awards which should also be given out at the Ballon d'Or ceremony 

The Ballon d'Or ceremony is almost here. It's that time of the year when players are rewarded for their brilliance, and they get recognised as being the best in the world at what they do. This year, the race for the Ballon d'Or is expected to be between Lionel Messi and Virgil van Dijk. Regardless of who wins it, none can say that the victory was not well deserved.

No player has ever entered the world of team sports for individual glory. However, it always feels nice to be validated and appreciated for all the hard work you do. Football has awards for coaches, players, and goal of the year, and yet there are some categories not given a nod.

A few new awards should be introduced, which would make the event all the more exciting, giving some players the recognition they deserve. Here are four awards which should be given out each year.

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#4 Position centric award for the best player

Despite Virgil van Dijk's amazing season, he is not the favourite for the Ballon d'Or

The concept of positional awards has existed for some time now. UEFA used to award the best goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, and forward in the world, but they discontinued the concept from 2010.

However, seeing the importance of these awards, the organisation brought the concept back in 2017, and the awards have been well received by the fans.

The Ballon d'Or is the biggest ceremony in the footballing world, and they must start awarding these too. The likes of Marc Andre Ter Stegen and Toni Kroos are world-class players who will never be on the Ballon d'Or podium simply because of how we perceive the game.

Barring Luka Modric, the Ballon d'Or has become an award that favours forwards. Even though Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have deserved every honour which they have received, it's hard to see the trend change in the coming years even after these two aliens take a bow. Players such as Kylian Mbappe will always be frontrunners for the award over players like Frenkie De Jong.

In the Best FIFA Football Awards, the organisation has started to award the best goalkeeper, but the other categories are not covered yet. Moreover, as aforementioned, the Ballon d'Or ceremony is more valuable and attracts a larger audience than any other award ceremony.

Therefore, they should start honouring players who have been the best in their position for that particular year.

#3 Best assist

Toni Kroos is one of the best passers in the game

There is nothing in this beautiful game that excites a fan as much as a good goal. After all, who doesn't love to see the ball in the back of the net? A goal is always appreciated because the end product is visible and of great value. This is the reason why FIFA hands out the Puskas Award, which is wildly popular.

However, not everyone in world football is like Lionel Messi, to be able to dribble past five players with ease and then slot the ball past the goalkeeper. Many game-changing and memorable goals over the years would have been impossible if not for a brilliant pass because a brilliant delivery is as important as the last kick of the ball.

Assists and key passes were not recorded during the early days of football, but they are an important statistic in the game now. Players such as Toni Kroos and Kevin De Bruyne are critically acclaimed due to their ability to play an incisive pass.

The player who assists is equally as valuable as the player who scores. As such, we believe the Ballon d'Or organisers should award the most creative pass of the year. After all, playmakers deserve appraisal too!

#2 Best substitution

Georginio Wijnaldum celebrates his goal against Barcelona

This award would be given to both the manager and player in question, rewarding the former's thinking and the latter's performance. It would be a tricky award to give away, but one which should be on the list.

Substitutes are as important in a game as tactics and formations. When your team is down and out, a change of personnel can turn things around, and when you are winning, a substitution can see your team through.

Of course, the former is always more exciting, but the latter is as important. This kind of award would benefit from the same system which FIFA uses for the Puskas - an online poll.

It is impossible to count the number of times a substitution has impacted the game. The most famous example this year is when Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum came on for Andrew Robertson in the Champions League semi-final second leg at Anfield. The midfielder scored two goals in two minutes and that changed the complexion of the tie, as well as the competition's history.

Not only would this award be a creative way of rewarding two individuals at once, it would be interactive, as the fans would also be involved in the process.

#1 Most improved player

Karim Benzema

Hard work and perseverance pays off, and there is nothing in the world that can't be achieved as long as you put your heart and soul into it. By honouring the most improved player in the world for that particular year, the Ballon d'Or organisers would be sending out a message that no matter how you were previously, improvement and perfection is not beyond anyone's reach in the game.

There are few things better than seeing an underperforming player recover his confidence and put in a great shift day in and day out.

In 2019, players such as Karim Benzema and Georginio Wijnaldum greatly stand out, as they went from being afterthoughts to becoming important members of their teams. There are also several other examples across the footballing world.

The nominees could be decided in the same way as the ones for the Balon d’Or, and it could even be divided amongst the top 5 leagues.