Sepp Blatter: Decision to give Golden Ball to Lionel Messi was incorrect

Argentina forward Lionel Messi

Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA, has stated that Lionel Messi wasn’t the deserving winner of the Golden Ball at this year’s World Cup in Brazil as he wasn’t the best player of the tournament.

The supremo of the footballing governing body has once again raised questions over whether the Argentine should have received the accolade or not and was disappointed with the voting process. He had also mentioned previously that Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer should have been the recipient of the individual prize.

Blatter was in Moscow for inspecting preparations of the next World Cup. Talking to the reporters at a press conference, The 78-year-old said, "I think the decision to give Messi the Golden Ball was incorrect." 

"I was surprised when I received the committee’s decision. They told me they had only looked at 10 of the players who took part in the final," he added.

Several others also voiced their discontent after the Barcelona forward won the award amongst whom the most prominent one was perhaps his predecessor Diego Maradona, who also didn’t agree with the decision to acknowledge Messi as the best player of the tournament.

Messi has been included in the 23-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or which was announced yesterday. The 4-time Ballon d’Or winner is expected to make the top 3 although a trophyless season with Barca and a painful loss against Germany at the World Cup final does reduce his chances against preferred favourites Cristiano Ronaldo, Arjen Robben and Manuel Neuer.