Lionel Messi does not deserve Ballon d'Or, claims Zlatan Ibrahimovic
03:19, 4 October 2012
LONDON. October 4. KAZINFORM Zlatan Ibrahimovic has stated that Lionel Messi does not deserve to win the next Fifa Ballon d'Or because he has won only one minor trophy with Barcelona this year.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward, who played with Messi at Barcelona during the 2009-10 season, told Eurosport: "Messi had a fantastic season but he has not won that much and he has already won the Ballon d'Or three times. It depends whether you reward an individual or a collective work, Kazinform has learnt from the Guardian.
"Xavi is still playing at a high level, [Andrés] Iniesta also had a great season, they won the Euros [for Spain] while Messi has not won anything, just the King's Cup. Messi has won the Ballon d'Or three times, it's now someone else's turn to win it."
The Ballon d'Or, which was merged with the World Player of the Year award in 2010, will be awarded in January 2013.