“Does the world revolve around Messi?” - Simon Jordan explains why Lionel Messi doesn’t deserve Ballon d’Or in scathing rant
TalkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan has spoken about why he felt Lionel Messi should not have won the 2023 Ballon d'Or. Speaking on the White and Jordan show, he suggested that the Argentine's splendid performance in a single tournament did not merit winning the award.
Jordan added that the Ballon d'Or should be awarded to a player whose performances were consistently good throughout the year. Hence, he reckons Manchester City's Erling Haaland was a more deserving candidate for the award.
Jordan said:
“Does the world revolve around Messi?! You can rock up to a World Cup, and win the Ballon d’Or? Is that the criteria?!”
Messi was sensational in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, scoring seven goals as he led Argentina to the trophy and winning the Golden Ball. At the club level with Paris Saint-Germain, he bagged 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 appearances, winning the Ligue 1 title.
He subsequently left Europe and joined MLS side Inter Miami as a free agent in the summer. He played a key role in the Florida side's triumph in the Leagues Cup, scoring 10 goals in seven games. He also helped the side come close to reaching a playoff spot after they found themselves rock bottom of the Eastern Conference before his arrival.
Erling Haaland, on the other hand, was a goalscoring machine as Manchester City won the treble last season. In his first season in the Premier League, the Norwegian broke the record for most goals in a season, bagging 36 goals for Pep Guardiola's side.
City won the Premier League, FA Cup, and the UEFA Champions League, with Haaland scoring 52 goals in all competitions.
Lionel Messi heaps praise on his teammates after winning Ballon d'Or
Lionel Messi offered his thanks to his teammates after lifting his record eighth Ballon d'Or on Monday, October 30. Speaking after receiving the award, the 36-year-old emphasised the importance of team success over personal glory, saying (via SPORTbible):
"I have been very lucky, I have played for the best team in the world, the best in history, I have been able to win many individual awards thanks to that. With Argentina I have had very bad times, but I never gave up on winning the Copa America and World Cup, and that's why I'm proud of not having given up."
He added:
"All the awards have been special, but I always emphasise the importance of the team. This is secondary. Look at City, they have been the best and achieved everything last season.
The Argentine superstar extended his record for most Ballon d'Or trophies won by a player with eight, going three clear of Cristiano Ronaldo. He beat off some competition from the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
In his speech, Lionel Messi praised both players, suggesting they would lift the award in the future. He also gave his gratitude to David Beckham for his role in bringing him to Inter Miami.