4 things we learned from Lionel Messi's FIFA Player Of The Year award snub

#3 Domestic success doesn't count anymore

Barcelona v Sevilla - Spanish Copa del Rey Final — The attacker had a very successful campaign domestically

One of the major reasons why many football fans have been so upset with FIFA's decision to omit Lionel Messi from their final shortlist is because the association refused to recognize the incredible achievements of the playmaker in their decision-making.

The Argentine had a great outing with Barcelona last season, producing a lot of spectacular performances and leading the Catalans to claim both the La Liga title and the Copa Del Rey trophy during the campaign. As a matter of fact, he had a better domestic outing than all of the finalists, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, and Mohamed Salah all having nothing to show for their domestic campaigns.

Therefore, the decision to omit Lionel Messi from the Player Of The Year award final shortlist despite his achievements with Barcelona last term is an indication that FIFA no longer attaches much value to domestic success anymore.

About the author

Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

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Edited by Sundaresh Kumar