Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or for a seventh time after being named as the best player in 2021 by France Football.
Messi scored 41 goals and registered 17 assists in 56 appearances in all competitions for club and country and led Argentina to a long-awaited Copa America win in the summer.
He also scored two goals as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 4-0 in the Copa Del Rey final in April.
After losing seven finals with the national team, Messi collected both the Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards as La Albiceleste beat Brazil to win their first trophy since 1993. It was Messi's first international trophy and his stellar tournament helped propel him to yet another individual prize.
During his speech, however, Messi singled out for praise Polish star Lewandowski, who missed out on a Ballon d’Or last year when organisers France Football controversially decided — in July — that the pandemic’s disruption of the football calendar made it impossible to judge the year fairly. Lewandowski finished the calendar year with a world’s best 47 goals, winning a domestic double and Champions League with Bayern.
Describing it as “a real honour to compete with” Lewandowski, Messi added:
Everyone knows and was in agreement that you should have won it last year. I think France Football should award you your 2020 Ballon d’Or. You deserve it and you should have it at home.
