Ballon d’Or organisers explain why ‘unfavourable’ Lionel Messi not shortlisted

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Lionel Messi's 'unfavourable' debut season at PSG led to his failure to make the 30-man shortlist for the 2022 award following 15 appearances in a row since 2006 – as well as a change in rules.

That is according to the organisers of the award, France Football, who asked one of their journalists to take part in a Q&A after the selections were announced this week.

Barcelona icon Messi won his first Ballon d'Or back in 2009 and picked up further triumphs in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and at the last ceremony back in 2021 – standing alone as a seven-time winner.

READ MORE: Lionel Messi and Neymar miss out on Ballon d'Or shortlist – but Cristiano Ronaldo there

Emmanuel Bojan, a journalist for France Football – who have run the awards since 1956 – took part in a Q&A on the L'Equipe website in a bid to explain their selections.

When asked about the Argentina icon, he said: "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 Argentinian was part of the discussions to integrate the 30, but the new criteria for the Ballon d'Or were unfavourable to him.

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"Disappearance of the criterion of a player's entire career, and new periodicity, modeled 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.

"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."

For the first time ever, the award will be voted for on the 2021/22 season as a whole rather than a calendar year – costing Messi the inclusion of his debut international trophy.

As well as Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema, among the favourites to win the award are Sadio Mane and Kevin De Bruyne – with the final ceremony taking place on October 17.

One familiar face who did make the 30-man shortlist is Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 24 goals for the club last season and is a five-time winner of the award.

The English stars that have made the final list are Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden and Harry Kane, with Luka Modric (2018) among only two previous winners alongside Ronaldo.

Other Premier League players include Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, Virgil van Dijk, Heung-Min Son, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva among others.

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