Lionel Messi’s snub from the Ballon d’Or selection process wowed many fans despite the Paris Saint-Germain star’s relatively underwhelming season at the Parc des Princes.
The 35-year-old has won seven editions of the famous trophy, which is by far the most in history – with Cristiano Ronaldo coming next in line with five accolades.
Excelling year upon year at Barcelona, Messi’s inclusion in the selection process was almost always guaranteed; in fact, it was a shock when he wasn’t in the top three players in the 2018 award given that he hadn’t missed out since his first inclusion back in 2006.
As Messi does, he fought back with a doubleheader by taking his sixth and seventh titles in 2019 and 2021 before moving to PSG, with the 2020 version being cancelled due to COVID-19.
However, fans were stunned when it transpired he hadn’t even been included in the 30-man shortlist for the 2022 accolade – ending a 15-year run of being on the shortlist.
But Emmanuel Bojan – a journalist for France Football, who organise the award – has given his reasons as to why the diminutive star has not been included in proceedings.
“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,’ Bojan detailed as relayed by the Daily Mail.
“The Argentinian was part of the discussions to integrate the 30, but the new criteria for the Ballon d’Or were unfavourable to him: the 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.”