The never-ending rivalry between CR7 and Lionel Messi will not have one more chapter added to it with this decision by football's governing body

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will have to wait one more year to see which one of the is crowned by FIFA as the best player in the world, following FIFA's decision to cancel this year's gala.

Given the massive hit taken by football in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, FIFA president Gianni Infantino and board members have decided to cancel the event, which was set to take place in Italy next September.

According to sources close to Infantino's office, the Swiss exec does not believe there should be any awards ceremony in such a turbulent year. Added to that, watching some tournaments coming to an abrupt end does not help a smooth return to normality, while it would also hinder the chances of some players to win it, such as PSG's ace Kylian Mbappé.

As of now, the only FIFA-sanctioned tournament yet to be cancelled this year is the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup. Only time will tell if there is time to hold it once all leagues and tournaments resume.

Last year, Lionel Messi claimed his first trophy of the sort by beating Virgil Van Dijk and CR7 to the coveted award. In the women's category, USWNT icon Megan Rapinoe claimed the first-ever trophy.