Philipp Lahm has called for the way the Ballon d'Or is voted on to be changed.
Lionel Messi was crowned the winner earlier this week. It was his fifth time to win the award. Since 2008, only Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have won the Ballon d'Or. Andres Iniesta was the only player to break into the top two in this period when he finished in second place in 2010.
In his latest column for goal.com, Lahm has suggested that the award "has become a vote for the 'world's best striker'."
Lahm has suggested that the voting process should include more than international captains, managers and media representatives. "When the voters are national coaches, national captains and a select group of journalists from 209 countries, I am convinced that only a few of these people, despite their knowledge, think about the topic. I have voted myself five times in the past and I don't exclude myself from acting in this way."
The last non-attacker to win the award was Fabio Cannavaro in 2006. Like Lahm, Cannavaro was a World Cup winning captain. "Only the players who score goals can be crowned the best footballer of the year."
Despite his reservations over an award which he called "a marketing prize", Lahm thinks there should be individual awards for the best goalkeeper, best defender, best midfielder and best striker.
"I don't think you can have one person who is the world's best player. In 2015, Lionel Messi is the deserved winner for the award of the world's best striker."
It will be interesting to see if Lahm's ideas gain support ahead of the 2016 awards.
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