Real Madrid star Toni Kroos was not pleased when France Football handed Messi the Ballon d’Or in 2021. The German believed it was not the right decision and hinted that it should have been Robert Lewandowski, who finished second in the race.
Chelsea star Jorginho was third on the list, after winning the UEFA Champions League and the EURO 2020 in the season. He was once touted as the favorite for the award, which Messi eventually won.
While many pundits, fans, and footballers believed it was not justified to give Messi the award, only a few were vocal about it. Kroos was among the latter, and expressed his displeasure openly:
Messi played 47 matches in the 2020-21 season for Barcelona and scored 38 goals, along with registering 14 assists. Lewandowski, on the other hand, scored 48 goals with nine assists in 40 matches for Bayern Munich.
The German was not the only Real Madrid legend to question the decision from France Football. Iker Casillas tweeted:
Lionel Messi’s 2021 Ballon d’Or win was questioned by Lothar Matthaus too
Germany legend Lothar Matthaus was not pleased with France Football either for giving the Ballon d’Or award to Lionel Messi in 2021. He admitted that the decision was beyond his understanding:
This year, Lionel Messi is once again the favorite for the Ballon d’Or. He won the FIFA World Cup with Argentina, playing a leading part in the campaign, and has also been a stronger performer for PSG so far in the season.
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