November 09, (THEWILL) – The editor-in-chief of France Football, Pascal Ferre, has dismissed claims that Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has already been assured he will win the Ballon d’Or.
According to Portuguese network RTP, Messi has already been informed that he will win a record-extending seventh Ballon d’Or, way ahead of the awards presentation on November 29 at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris.
A jury of 53 sports writers voted two weeks ago, leading to conjecture over who they chose. However, Ferre, the man in charge of the magazine awarding football’s most coveted individual prize, has dismissed these allegations of a leaked result as “a big bluff.”
“That’s a lot of b******t we’ve seen in the last 10 days. A big bluff,” Ferre responded when answering questions about the leak.
Robert Lewandowski, like Messi, is among the favourites to win the trophy later this month. The Polish striker had a fantastic year for Bayern Munich and Poland, hitting 55 goals in 47 games for the Bundesliga champions in the 2019/2020 campaign and then another 48 goals in 40 games last season.
Messi believes winning a seventh will be “crazy.” In an interview recently, the 34-year-old said: “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.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
