Five reasons why Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or

Lionel Messi did it again. The Argentine star was proclaimed today as the best player in the world, getting his seventh Ballon d’Or, or what is the same, achieving an unattainable figure for the rest of the contemporaries who try, at most, to win an award. In the following article, we review five reasons that have been able to tip the balance in favor of the PSG crack ahead of other players such as Robert Lewandowski, Jorginho or Benzema.

1. The two titles he got

2021 will always be remembered as the year in which Messi, once and for all, managed to win a title with the Argentine team. The albiceleste was proclaimed champion of the Copa América in the summer after beating Brazil in their own fiefdom after an extraordinary vaseline from Di María, currently Messi’s partner in Paris. The tournament served to crown the Argentine star as the best player in South America, playing high-level matches and removing a thorn that had been nailed for many years. It took many years to see Messi cry with joy with the national team, but in the end the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner broke down an insurmountable barrier on so many occasions. To this must be added the Copa del Rey, the last tournament he won with Barcelona and which, although it does not have the consideration of other titles, has been decisive in turning the balance in favor of Messi.

2. Pichichi of La Liga

Despite Barcelona’s irregular season in La Liga, Messi once again finished the championship as the top scorer in Rosario’s last season in Spain. With 30 goals in 35 games, to which we must add 9 assists, Messi beat Benzema in the fight for the La Liga top scorer award and added yet another recognition to his endless showcases. It wasn’t enough to get the title, but it did help him establish himself as the best player in the tournament from start to finish.

3. Constant regularity

If something has characterized Messi during 2021, it has been the regularity with which he has maintained extraordinary goalscoring figures for another year. The Albiceleste international has scored 41 goals in 2021 until December: 28 goals with Barça, nine with the Argentine team and four with PSG to date, with three of those four goals being in the Champions League, one of them beautifully scored against Manchester City. Since 2009, Messi has surpassed the barrier of 40 goals every year except one, last year, when he scored just 27 goals. Messi has managed to remain one of the best players in the world and that has been more than enough for him to win his seventh Ballon d’Or

4. Pichichi of the Copa América

In addition to being the top scorer in La Liga, Messi also finished the year as top scorer in a Copa América that ended up crowning Argentina against Brazil. The PSG striker finished the competition with four goals, tied with Luis Díaz and Lapadula. The man from Rosario was also the top assistant in the largest national team tournament in America, as well as receiving the MVP award from the lathe. Recognitions that have raised him to the top to take the seventh golden ball of his career.

5. Keep breaking barbarian records

In 2021, Messi became the first player in history to receive the MVP award, top scorer, top assistant and the title of in any international tournament. He did it in the Copa América, breaking a record that no other player has been able to achieve before. Although he may be missing a Champions League or a League to have the victory been less tight, the reasons exposed so far have been revealing for him to rise tonight with his seventh Ballon d’Or. An inhospitable record that has not been a barrier for Messi, who does not care about limits. (D)