The Argentine may have no probability to retain his crown in 2022
France Soccer triggered shock on Friday by omitting the award’s present holder Lionel Messi from the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or for the primary time since 2005.
Messi scooped soccer’s highest particular person honor for a file seventh time in 2021, but an unflattering season the place he managed simply 11 objectives at new membership Paris Saint Germain noticed him and teammate Neymar ignored of the working for the gong.
Many followers naturally protested Messi’s snub on-line on social media platforms resembling Twitter, which has pressured one of many journalists on the journal that has organized the award since 1956, France Soccer, to attempt to clear the matter up.
“Inevitably, Lionel Messi, along with his 15 appearances in a row since 2006, his seven Ballon d’Or victories, [and] his title holder standing, weighs very closely in the case of the ultimate selection,” Emmanuel Bojan started to elucidate.
Lionel Messi fails to make the Ballon d'Or shortlist for the primary time since 2005 😳 pic.twitter.com/7c4g5NoWGX
— GOAL (@objective) August 12, 2022
“The Argentinian was a part of the discussions to combine the 30, however the brand new standards for the Ballon d’Or have been unfavorable to him: [the] disappearance of the criterion of a participant’s total profession, and new periodicity, modeled on a season of soccer and not over a calendar 12 months, which doesn’t make it potential to combine the Copa America of July 11, 2021.
“After which, it have to be admitted that his first season in Paris was very disappointing each when it comes to the visible impression and the statistics,” Bojan additional supplied.
But regardless of Manchester United failing to qualify for the Champions League in his return to the membership after becoming a member of from Juventus on a two-year-deal final summer time, Bojan instructed that the statistics of Messi’s generational rival and five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo “say the alternative”.
“Ronaldo turned the highest scorer in nationwide soccer this season [117 goals]. He was extraordinarily decisive within the Champions League group stage with 4 off-the-cuff objectives that gave Man Utd seven factors.
Learn extra
Messi amazes with profession first in PSG masterclass (VIDEO)
“Within the Premier League, he has 18 objectives together with two hat-tricks. In complete, 32 objectives in 49 matches just isn’t as many as in his finest seasons however sufficient to be among the many 30 finest gamers on the planet,” Bojan insisted.
With Messi out of the hunt, different favorites for the award embrace Actual Madrid’s Karim Benzema and new Barcelona signing Robert Lewandowski – each of whom many felt have been unfortunate to be ignored final time spherical.
Because of the timing of the 2022 World Cup, the Ballon d’Or ceremony will happen on October 17 in Paris this 12 months versus occupying its regular early December slot.
