Il Corriere dello Sport believes Lionel Messi will win his seventh Ballon d’Or in Paris tonight and claims the move to Paris Saint-Germain over the summer was decisive.
France Football hosts the award in Theatre du Chatelet tonight and the Italian newspaper claims Messi will win the Ballon d’Or 2021.
The report believes everything points towards the Argentine champion, even if Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho are hot candidates for the prize.
Lewandowski can’t stop scoring for Die Roten and was expected to be given the award in 2020, but the ceremony was cancelled due to COVID-19.
Since then, Jorginho has won the Champions League and EURO 2020 with Chelsea and Italy respectively, while Messi has strengthened his position by helping Argentina win the Copa America 2021.
Il Corriere dello Sport points at Messi as the winner in his new home, Paris. The Argentine talisman left Barcelona in a shock move after 2020-21 and has joined the French giants PSG.
The newspaper claims the move to Paris will affect the votes in favour of the Argentine, including the fact that Argentina won their first Copa America since 1993
Karim Benzema has been a protagonist with Real Madrid in recent years and was a key member of the France team that won the UEFA Nations League too.
But the newspaper believes Messi wins the trophy for the seventh time tonight, when France Football hosts the 65th edition of the trophy.
The deadline for the votes was on October 24, meaning that the missed penalty against Switzerland didn’t hurt Jorginho’s chances of winning the trophy.
#Messi vince il settimo #Pallone d’#oro: beffati Lewandowski e Jorginho https://t.co/OsxQ8rTmbh
— Corriere dello Sport (@CorSport) November 29, 2021
Messi is a magnificent talent but surely not the best footballer at present. I would have thought his decision to leave Barca for extra cash would be a negative, especially considering he is yet to reach decent form for the Paris club. Jorginho has blown his chances with his recent mistakes.
Lewandowski would be a deserving recipient but it does not really work like that does it.
If Messi wins this then it becomes abundantly clear that this is “award” has become a farce and a mere popularity contest. Jorginho fully deserves this years Ballon d’Or
ALWAYS in years gone by the decision goes in favour of the protagonists in title winning teams; now I am not diminishing Messi’s/Argentina’s Copa America win at all, but what happened at Barca last season?
Whereas on the other hand Jorginho (whilst I agree is not everyone’s cup of tea) but was a KEY component of both Chelsea and Italy’s Champions League and European Championship wins!
If htis goea by scoring as in Lewandowski case why not Immobile he won the golden shoe outscoring all recently. This is a sham award. Messi is god but failed domestically and in UCL. Argentina is successful because of DiMaria without him Messi would be useless. I like Messi but this is a scam and so is Uefa and Fifa with these bootleg awards going to people like him and Ronaldo. So many better talents out there not being brought into the spotlight.
Messi scored 30 Goals in 36 Matches, that’s what he did domestically. Was Player of the Tournament at the Copa America.
But I’d give it to Lewandowski because last years Award Ceremony was cancelled and he would have won it then.
The Elf on the Shelf, Mayor of Munchkinland himself, Sir Lionel Messi grabbing another one!
I’d rather say that they present that of 2020 to rebert Lewandoski and eventually present that of 2021 to Lionel Messi. I’m sure the bone of contention isn’t Messi winning but lewandoski being recognized and appreciated for his outstanding performance over the years
Messi does not even deserve to be in the Top 5.
He did woefully last season only to win the Copa America and now he’s suddenly the favourite?
Bollocks.
“and claims the move to Paris Saint-Germain over the summer was decisive.”
How so?
Forza Lewa.
If this guy was in Azzurro we wouldn’t be going to a Playoff. We’d have our Pasaport stamped with 2 matches to spare.