Lionel Messi has won the men‘s Ballon d’Or for the seventh time, a record.
Messi, who left Barcelona as a free agent to join Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, received the award for the world’s best male footballer on Monday night in Paris after another record 12 months for the club and the country.
He saw competition from Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho.
“I am very proud to win the French Ballon d’Or once again,” Messi said. “It’s incredible to win it for the seventh time. I would like to thank my family, my friends and all the people who follow me and always support me, because without them I could not have done it ”.
Messi, who wore a sparkly tuxedo at the ceremony in Paris, picked up the honor for a record sixth time in 2019, one ahead of great rival Cristiano Ronaldo, before the awards were canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 33-year-old Polish international Lewandowski, who was expected to win last year, finished second after scoring 38 goals in 30 league games for Bayern in 2021.
Meanwhile, Jorginho finished third after a remarkable year in which he helped Italy achieve glory at the belated Euro 2020 after lifting the Champions League trophy with Chelsea in May.
Chelsea also won the club of the year award for having the most players nominated in all categories.
Manchester City striker Raheem Sterling was the top-ranked England player for the men’s award, finishing in 15th place, with compatriots Mason Mount, Harry Kane and Phil Foden in 19th, 23rd and 25th respectively.
Taken from Skysports
