Zapping Goal! Football club PSG: the figures of Georginio Wijnaldum’s career

If until now, the 2021 Ballon d’Or given to Lionel Messi had as its main explanation the opening to the votes of journalists from small nations, the full results unveiled in the last edition of France Football demolish this received idea. No, the great football nations have not chosen Robert Lewandowski or Karim Benzema at the expense of the PSG striker.

The big countries still voted Messi

Indeed, if we refer to the votes of the 11 major nations of world football (Spain, England, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay), Lionel Messi still arrives in lead a podium completed by the Bayern Munich striker and the Italian Chelsea Jorginho.

From these nations, Lionel Messi gleans 36 points, against 34 for Robert Lewandowski, 27 day Jorginho and 18 for Karim Benzema. The only notable difference from the actual ranking: journalists from major countries favored the notoriety of Cristiano Ronaldo (5th with 15 points) to the performance of N’Golo Kanté. We will therefore have to look for another explanation for Messi’s coronation but stop accusing the minor nations for what many consider to be the “Golden Ball of shame” …