MOSCOW, Aug 13 France Football Deputy Editor-in-Chief Emmanuel Beaujan explained the new criteria the absence of Paris Saint-Germain football player Lionel Messi in the list of 30 contenders for the Golden Ball award, which is presented annually by the publication. For the first time since 2005, Messi was not among the 30 contenders for the Golden Ball, whose names became known on Friday . The captain of the Argentine national team holds the record for the number of Golden Balls received (7). He won this prize in 2021. «The Argentine was considered as a candidate for the top 30, but the new criteria for selecting contenders for the Golden Ball did not play in his favor,» Daily Mail quotes Bojan. the introduction of a new reporting period modeled after a football season rather than a calendar year has prevented Messi's Copa América performance in July 2021 from being taken into account. in terms of statistics,» the journalist added. Last season, Messi played 34 matches for Paris Saint-Germain in all competitions, in which he scored six goals and made 15 assists, becoming the French champion with the Parisians.
