Lionel Messi: 'A lot of b******t' - Ballon d'Or chief slams claims PSG star has been told he has won

ByEurosport

Updated 09/11/2021 at 09:16 GMT

After a Portuguese outlet reported on Friday that Lionel Messi has been notified that he will pick up the Ballon d'Or at the end of the month, France Football's editor-in-chief has denied that the result of the 2021 award has been leaked and that players have already been told what the outcome is ahead of the ceremony on November 29.

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France Football’s editor-in-chief has rubbished a report that Lionel Messi has already been told he has won the 2021 Ballon d’Or.

Portuguese broadcaster RTP reported on Friday that Messi has already been made aware he will win a record-extending seventh Ballon d’Or ahead of the awards ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on November 29.

A jury of 53 sports journalists are said to have cast their votes around two weeks ago, raising speculation as to who they have opted for.

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But France Football’s Pascal Ferre, who issue football’s most prestigious individual award, has called reports of a leaked a result “a big bluff”.

“That’s a lot of b******t we’ve seen in the last 10 days. A big bluff,” Ferre told Bild.

Alongside Messi, Robert Lewandowski is among the favourites to win the award later this month following a prolific 12 months for Bayern Munich and Poland.

The striker scored 55 goals in 47 matches for the Bundesliga champions during the 2019-20 campaign and followed that up with another 48 in 40 last season.

Messi thinks it would be “crazy” if he won a seventh Ballon d’Or.

He told Sport recently: “If the Ballon d’Or arrives it would be extraordinary for what it would mean winning one more. The seventh would be crazy.

“If not, nothing happens. I have already achieved one of my great goals. I am very happy for what happened and now that whatever has to happen happens.”

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