'Leaked' Ballon d'Or Result Confirms Lionel Messi as Winner, But Dutch Pundit Blasts PSG Forward
13:47 GMT 28.11.2021 (Updated: 11:43 GMT 10.12.2022)
© REUTERS / SARAH MEYSSONNIER
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Argentina skipper and ex-Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi has won a record six Ballon d'Ors. The PSG forward is also the only man to claim football's top honour for four consecutive years from 2009 to 2012. Apparently, he's set to bag the prestigious award for the seventh time on Monday.
According to the results leaked on a popular social media platform on Friday, football megastar Lionel Messi has already won a record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or.
While Pascal Ferre, editor-in-chief of France Football, the parent organisation of the Ballon d'Or, previously denied that Messi had won the award. The winner is usually selected and informed at least a couple of days before the glittering ceremony in Paris.
Additionally, Ferre and his France Football colleagues remain tight lipped as they want to keep the winner a secret but once a player is informed about the honour, the organisation can't do anything if he shares the news with his loved ones.
As speculation about the winner of the Ballon d'Or started trending on Twitter over the weekend, Italian journalist Matte Moreno wrote: "Messi, his friends already know".
While Pascal Ferre, editor-in-chief of France Football, the parent organisation of the Ballon d'Or, previously denied that Messi had won the award. The winner is usually selected and informed at least a couple of days before the glittering ceremony in Paris.
Additionally, Ferre and his France Football colleagues remain tight lipped as they want to keep the winner a secret but once a player is informed about the honour, the organisation can't do anything if he shares the news with his loved ones.
As speculation about the winner of the Ballon d'Or started trending on Twitter over the weekend, Italian journalist Matte Moreno wrote: "Messi, his friends already know".
On the other hand, the host of the popular Spanish show "El Chiringuito", Josep Pedrerol posted: "Messi, Benzema, Lewandowski…".
Messi's heroics during his last season with Barca led them to a Copa del Rey title before putting an end to Argentina's 28-year international trophy drought. The team lifted the Copa America title in July, making him the hot favourite to secure football's biggest prize yet again.
While Messi was the Spanish league's top goalscorer last season, his form since arriving at the Parc des Princes has been underwhelming to say the least. So far, the 34-year-old footballer has only scored a single goal in six Ligue 1 games for PSG.
And the Argentine's current form has drawn sharp criticism from former Netherlands midfielder Rafael van der Vaart who was furious and annoyed with Messi's form.
"He goes for a walk now and then and I think, 'Aren't you ashamed?'", Van der Vaart said on Dutch TV channel Ziggo Sports.
Though the former Real Madrid player acknowledged that the world would not see a footballer of Messi's calibre again, he made it clear that he was not happy with his current form.
"I'm starting to get angry with Messi and that's a shame because a player like that will never be born again", he concluded.
Messi's heroics during his last season with Barca led them to a Copa del Rey title before putting an end to Argentina's 28-year international trophy drought. The team lifted the Copa America title in July, making him the hot favourite to secure football's biggest prize yet again.
While Messi was the Spanish league's top goalscorer last season, his form since arriving at the Parc des Princes has been underwhelming to say the least. So far, the 34-year-old footballer has only scored a single goal in six Ligue 1 games for PSG.
And the Argentine's current form has drawn sharp criticism from former Netherlands midfielder Rafael van der Vaart who was furious and annoyed with Messi's form.
"He goes for a walk now and then and I think, 'Aren't you ashamed?'", Van der Vaart said on Dutch TV channel Ziggo Sports.
Though the former Real Madrid player acknowledged that the world would not see a footballer of Messi's calibre again, he made it clear that he was not happy with his current form.
"I'm starting to get angry with Messi and that's a shame because a player like that will never be born again", he concluded.
