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Lionel Messi was announced as the winner of the 2021 Ballon d'Or award at the award gala last night. The Argentine made history by becoming the first player in history to win the accolade seven times.
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has reacted to Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Or victory. The German claims Leo didn't deserve to be crowned the best footballer in the world in 2021, adding that there should've been others ahead of him.
"It's absolutely not deserved," the Real Madrid midfielder was quoted as saying via his podcast.
"There is no doubt that Messi, with Cristiano, has been the player of the last decade, but this year there should've been others ahead of him," he added.
Toni Kroos later named his three picks to climb the Ballon d'Or podium. He placed his teammate Karim Benzema in first position.
The Frenchman had a prolific outing with Real Madrid last season, bagging 30 goals and nine assists for the club in 46 appearances across all competitions.
He also recorded four goals to his name during the Euros this summer before leading scoring twice to lead France to a UEFA Nations League triumph last month.
In the second position on his preferred Ballon d'Or ranking, Toni Kroos named Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski. The Polish forward was a huge force to be reckoned with last season, bagging 48 goals and nine assists for the Bavarians across all competitions.
Chelsea midfielder Jorginho takes third spot to complete Kroos's preferred three-man list for the Ballon d'Or podium this year.
The 29-year-old has had an incredible year, winning the Champions League and UEFA Super Cup with the Blues as well as the Euros with Italy.
The numbers behind Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Or triumph
Winning the Copa America was Lionel Messi's biggest achievement this year. The Argentine totally dominated the tournament, finishing with the most goals (4), most assists (5) and being named the best player in the competition.
His performances at club level also deserve plaudits. Lionel Messi led a mediocre Barcelona side to claim the Copa del Rey last season, finishing the campaign with 38 goals and 14 assists across all competitions.
