France Football-PSG-Messi, the devaluation of the Ballon d'Or continues
It is not the first time that the French magazine's choice of Messi has been questioned. In 2010, even though the Argentinian star was at his best, the football world cried out when Andrés Iniesta, or failing that Xavi Hernández, was not the winner.
That year, players like Iniesta and above all Wesley Sneijder, who won league, cup and Champions League with Mourinho's Inter, were deprived of the magazine's trophy. In addition, Wesley reached the World Cup final with the Netherlands, won the Italian Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
In the Champions League, the Dutch midfielder appeared in every game with goals and assists. Against FC Barcelona he scored a goal in the first leg and provided an assist for Diego Milito in the second leg.
This year, 2021, nobody understands the scale used. It is incomprehensible that Erling Haaland, with an average of more than one goal per game in the Bundesliga and the number one target of the best teams in the world, is not in the top ten. His transfer fee next summer will be in the region of 200 million euros. A figure that would never be paid for any of the top ten on France Football's list, except for Mbappé. Not for Benzema, not for Lewandowski, not for Cristiano, not for Messi because of his age, not for Jorginho, Kanté, Salah or De Bruyne.
But Haaland is not among the ten. Who makes the list?
Karim Benzema, praised by the coaches of the best teams and national teams, seemed to be among the two finalists. UEFA Nations League champion with France, Champions League semi-finalist and this season's top scorer with 15 goals in four months.
Lewandowski was the other big favourite. Champion of the Champions League 2020 scoring 15 goals and 5 in this edition, the same as Messi.
It was expected that as there was no Ballon d'Or last year due to the COVID, the merits of last year would be taken into account, but this has not been the case.
The Polish striker joins the list of the French magazine's victims. Players such as Raúl, with three Champions League titles and six La Liga titles, Thierry Henry, World Champion, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernández, World Champions and several Champions League titles, Paolo Maldini, a total symbol of Milan, Ribery, World Champion and Champions League winner, Pirlo with six Scudettos and one World Cup, Roberto Carlos, World Champion and several Champions League titles, do not have it and this means that a trophy that was once very prestigious is significantly devalued every year.
The prestige accumulated over many decades by the French magazine is being lost year by year.
It is incomprehensible that FIFA does not organise prestigious worldwide awards to replace the award given by the French magazine, which rewards several players organised by position. Goalkeepers are the big losers as Iker Casillas, Buffon, Neuer, Oliver Khan, Schmeichel, Van der Sar and others did not get it.
There is The Best and the Golden Shoe, but not comparable to the prestige, albeit declining, of the Ballon d'Or.
This year's gala was a nonsense as the winner was already known days ago and Cristiano, Benzema, Jorginho and others declined to attend.
Only Lewandowski turned up and many believe he did so because they invented an award for him. The best striker of the year, and why not the best defender? And why not the best midfielder? Donnarumma attended also because he was awarded best goalkeeper.
The wrong-headed believe that France Football magazine has been pressured by Paris Saint Germain. They couldn't let Lionel miss out on the seventh Ballon d'Or just when he is a member of the Parisian team. Despite three and a half months without scoring a single goal and at a very low level.
Let's remember that, according to the rules of the award, they reward the calendar year of a player, his collective titles, the records he has broken and the individual awards he has won.
The magnificent Argentine player was eliminated from the Champions League, precisely by PSG, in a knockout round in which Messi did not appear.
Messi's nomination as Ballon d'Or winner is justified by the fact that he won the Copa America. In this competition Messi scored only four goals. None in the final or the semi-final. He scored against Ecuador, Chile and two against Bolivia. Second-tier teams, not Brazil, Colombia or Uruguay.
The highlights of the final were goalkeeper Emi Martinez and Di Maria. Messi did not perform as well against Brazil as he did against Colombia in the semi-finals.
In summary: poor performance in La Liga and Champions League with FC Barcelona, poor performance with his current club Paris Saint Germain and discreet performance with the Argentine national team. A 2021 far below what we are used to, but France Football is French and he plays in Paris and in a very powerful team with many economic interests like Paris Saint Germain. If he had signed for Juve, would they have given him the award? No
Messi is one of the five best players in the history of football who doesn't need to be given anything for free and he might not benefit from this trophy.
It is about who has been the best player of the year in an objective way without interests outside football.
