"To elect Lionel Messi in 2021 would devalue the Ballon d'Or" – Jean-Pierre Papin makes brutal claim ahead of award ceremony

Lionel Messi is all set to win the Ballon d'Or 2021 if the reports from multiple sources are anything to go by. The Argentine has been leading the race for the accolade over the last couple of months and it looks like he'll finally be declared the winner tonight.

Messi has had an incredible year, leading Argentina to the Copa America title this summer, finishing with the most goals and assists, and being voted as the tournament's best player.

The playmaker also won the Copa del Rey trophy with Barcelona last season, concluding the term with 38 goals and 41 assists across all competitions.

Despite that, former France forward Jean-Pierre Papin has made a bold claim that Lionel Messi doesn't deserve to win this year's Ballon d'Or award.

According to the Frenchman, Leo's failure in the Champions League last term and his slow start to life at Paris Saint-Germain make him undeserving of the honor.

"He [Lionel Messi] hasn’t played for five months!" Jean-Pierre Papin was quoted as saying.

"I saw that we were talking about him and I do not understand, he conceded to the Parisian. Let’s add Cristiano Ronaldo also in this case. Since winning the Copa America, what has Messi been doing in Paris? He scores one goal in the league, three in the Champions League…

"I have nothing of course, against Messi, he is one of the greatest players in history. But this year, he doesn’t deserve it," he added.

Players like Robert Lewandowski, Jorginho and Karim Benzema have all been tipped by many to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or owing to their brilliant performances across the year.

Papin claims that the accolade will lose its value if Lionel Messi wins it ahead of such high-performing candidates.

He said:

"To elect Messi in 2021 would devalue the Ballon d’Or since that would mean that we no longer give the possibility to high-performance players to win the trophy.

"When you know how difficult it is to perform well over an entire season, it’s not normal. If we give it to Messi this year, every kid in the world can dream of having it."

When will the 2021 Ballon d'Or winner be announced?

Lionel Messi won the Copa America with Argentina this summer

The winner of the 2021 Ballon d'Or award will be announced tonight by French magazine, France Football, at the Theatre du Chatelet, in Paris, France. With just a few hours to go, many are intensifying their support for their desired candidates.

Lionel Messi is considered favorite to claim the accolade for a record-extending seventh time in his career.

However, the Argentine will face stern competition from the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Jorginho, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ngolo Kante.