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France Football have reportedly decided against awarding Lionel Messi with a Super Ballon d'Or.
Messi, 36, is expected to win his record eighth Ballon d'Or tonight (October 30) in Paris. Many have been proposing that the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner be recognized with the 'super' award that's only been handed out once in history.
However, Marca reports that France Football have rejected the proposal. The Argentine hero will not be given the award that acknowledges the best player of the past three decades.
Lionel Messi comes off a phenomenal year with Argentina in which he reached the pinnacle of football. He captained Lionel Scaloni's men to World Cup glory in Qatar, bagging seven goals and three assists in seven games.
Messi was also vital for Paris Saint-Germain, winning his second consecutive Ligue 1 title. He bagged 21 goals and 20 assists in 45 games across competitions.
The only winner of the Super Ballon d'Or award in history is Real Madrid icon Alfredo Di Stefano who was handed it in 1989. Players are eligible to win the award if they have won the annual Ballon d'Or award on multiple occasions. But, it appears that Messi won't be following in the footsteps of Di Stefano.
Former Real Madrid star Eden Hazard insists Lionel Messi deserves to win the Ballon d'Or
Eden Hazard has backed Lionel Messi to win the annual award due to his heroics at the World Cup in Qatar. The former Real Madrid attacker who retired earlier this month told Telefoot (via The Mirror):
"It wouldn’t be logical to not give the Ballon d’Or to the best player in history in the year that he won the World Cup."
Messi had failed to win the World Cup in four attempts with Argentina until last year. He did so in style, becoming the first player in history to win five Player of the Match awards in a single World Cup campaign.
The Inter Miami superstar wasn't even nominated for the Ballon d'Or last year. However, he conjured up a performance at the World Cup that will live long in the memory and many insist he deserves to win his eighth award on that basis. He is set to become the first active MLS player to win the award after joining Inter Miami this past summer.
Erling Haaland looks to have been beaten by Messi despite his extraordinary 2022-23 campaign. He bagged 52 goals and nine assists in 53 games across competitions, helping Manchester City win the continental treble.
