“His first season in Paris was very disappointing”- Here’s why Lionel Messi didn’t feature in Ballon d’Or 2022 nominations


“His first season in Paris was very disappointing”- Here’s why Lionel Messi didn’t feature in Ballon d’Or 2022 nominations

Lionel Messi

In contrast to Cristiano Ronaldo, the current title holder Lionel Messi’s debut season with Paris Saint-Germain did not place him on the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or in 2022, according to the award’s sponsors.

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Messi’s disappointing first season in Paris ended with him failing to make the final 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or for the first time in 17 years. He finished the season with 11 goals and 15 assists in 34 games, a dismal total by Messi’s high standards.

Fans were outraged by the decision to leave Messi off the shortlist, and France Football, the organization behind the award, quickly put together a Q&A session to try to put their minds at ease. “Inevitably, Lionel Messi, with his 15 appearances in a row since 2006, his seven Ballon d’Or victories, his title holder status, weighs very heavily when it comes to the final choice,” the organizers said.

“The Argentinian was part of the discussions to integrate the 30, but the new criteria for the Ballon d’Or were unfavourable to him: disappearance of the criterion of a player’s entire career, and new periodicity, modelled on a season of football and no longer over a calendar year, which does not make it possible to integrate the Copa America of July 11, 2021.”

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“And then, it must be admitted that his first season in Paris was very disappointing both in terms of the visual impression and the statistics,” he added.

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France Football also provided justification for Lionel Messi’s arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo’s inclusion despite dismal first season with Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

The inclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo was then defended by France Football, with supporters citing the Manchester United player’s failure in England as justifiable. “The statistics say the opposite,” their response began. “Ronaldo became the top scorer in national football this season. He was extremely decisive in the Champions League group stage with four off-the-cuff goals that gave Man Utd seven points.

“In the Premier League, he has 18 goals including two hat-tricks. In total, 32 goals in 49 matches is not as many as in his best seasons but enough to be among the 30 best players in the world.”

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Also Read: “Again? He’s 38 years old”- Real Madrid President Florentino Perez shuts the door for Cristiano Ronaldo’s fairy tale return to Los Blancos

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