Lionel Messi, absent from the list of nominees, “has become a bit of an ordinary player again”, says a journalist

“He had accustomed us to the extraordinary and there he became a bit of an ordinary player again”commented on Friday August 12 on franceinfo Emmanuel Bojan, deputy editor-in-chief at France Football, while Lionel Messi is absent from the list of 30 nominated for the Ballon d’Or 2022. The ceremony will be held on October 17 at the Chatelet Theater in Paris.

According to Emmanuel Bojan, the absence of the seven-time Argentinian Ballon d’Or is explained by a change in the selection criteria. From now on, “individual performance takes precedence over collective performance”specifies the journalist, adding that “the criterion of the entire career is no longer taken into account”. Lionel Messi has however “obviously was part of the discussions and was very close to 30”, says Emmanuel Bojan. Karim Benzema is the big favorite for the Ballon d’Or 2022, but Emmanuel Bojan recalls that “other players have arguments”.