LIONEL MESSI won his seventh Ballon d’Or last night much to the dismay of some of his peers in football.
The Argentine made it consecutive wins at the star-studded ceremony after picking up the gong in 2019.
But Messi’s hardly set the world alight since joining Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona this summer – leaving several of football’s elite questioning the decision to hand him the prestigious gong.
Leading the outcry was German legend Lothar Matthäus who claimed Messi’s win was incredulous, stating: “Honestly, I don’t understand anything anymore.”
In Matthaus’ eyes, Bayern Munich ace Robert Lewandowski who finished as runner-up to Messi, was the worthy winner of the accolade.
He raged, reported by Mundo Deportivo: “With all due respect to Messi and the other great players named, none deserved it as much as Lewandowski.”
Matthaus’ ex-Bayern team-mate Oliver Kahn whose now the Bavarian side’s CEO also reckons Lewandowski should’ve been given the golden globe-shaped award.
He added: “Lewandowski would have deserved both the Ballon d’Or and his top scorer trophy because he has performed absolutely at the highest level for years. Congratulations to Lionel Messi!”
Real Madrid star Toni Kroos was also incensed by Messi’s victory, but instead of Lewandowski, he thinks Los Blancos team-mate Karim Benzema should’ve won the Ballon d’Or.
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Instead, Benzema finished fourth behind Chelsea star Jorginho in the rankings.
And a bewildered Kroos vented to Record: “For me, if they were really looking for the best player of the year, Benzema should have been number one because I see up close how exceptional he is.
“There is no doubt that Messi is alongside Cristiano Ronaldo as player of the decade and it has qualities that others will never have.
“What fails in the election is, above all, the first place.”
Real legend Casillas also believes Messi isn’t worthy of the Ballon d’Or this year but didn’t name a successor.
He wrote on Twitter: “It is increasingly difficult for me to believe in this football award.
“For me, Messi, he is one of the five best players in all of history, but you have to begin to know how to catalog who are the most prominent at the end of a season.
“It’s not that hard, damn it! Others make it difficult!”
But ex-Barca star Messi doesn’t disagree with the critics slamming the decision to hand him the award.
And after he was presented with the prize, the 36-year-old declared that Lewandowski was the worthy winner this year following the Pole’s phenomenal form last season.
Messi’s humble admission led to pundit Gary Lineker insisting on Twitter for the prize to be given to Lewandowski as it’s the right thing to do.
The PSG attacker’s win also ruffled the feathers of his old adversary Cristiano Ronaldo and team-mate Kylian Mbappe.
Ronaldo finished in sixth place and French prodigy Mbappe languished in ninth spot.
However, Ronaldo chose to not even attend the award ceremony while Mbappe sat stony-faced upon hearing the news of his ranking.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
