The Sports Buff ⚽️ ⚾️ 🏈

Lionel Messi has not been nominated for this year’s Balon D’or award for the first time since 2005. Hello, and good morning sports fans you have read that right. I hope you’re well, looking after yourselves and are in good health. Sports fans, let’s talk about football. What I want to talk about in particular is the Balon D’or.

Since 1956, the award which was created by French news magazine, France football has been for over a decade been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

CR7 and Messi, through what many have seen as a personal rivalry, have arguably helped take each other’s game to new heights.

Messi, through his undoubted natural ability and sacrifices too (moving to Europe at a young age), waltzes through defences with devastating affect. Europe’s defenders would be left in awe as the little Argentine maestro would just go on mazy runs at will and those very defenders would look on helplessly.

A slide tackle, a professional tackle – a body check, nothing seemed to be able to get the better of the former Barcelona man.Despite appearing to be timeless, even Lionel Messi, the great Argentinian who arguably has topped Diego Maradona as the greatest player in the history of La Albiceleste, had a poor season last season for his obscenely high standards.

Messi, in Ligue1 did hit the wood work the most times in the league and also he did get the most assists. It’s not Leo’s fault he had to play in a front three that was clearly unbalanced.

Early doors of this new season, yes but Lionel Messi is playing in a role which is somewhat his strength. Messi, is allowed to be Messi again it appears and despite not being even nominated this year for the Balon D’or, if the former Barcelona man can enjoy his football like he did at Camp Nou, mark my words sports fans .. Messi is back!