“Let real experts decide!”, “No way” – Fans insist 26th-ranked midfielder in Ballon d’Or race should have finished above Jude Bellingham

Fans have reacted to a Bayern Munich midfielder finishing 26th in the 2023 Ballon d'Or race, below Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Musiala, 20, had a solid 2022-23 season for Bayern Munich, registering 16 goals and as many assists in 47 games across competitions as Bayern won their 11th straight Bundesliga title.

Meanwhile, Bellingham, despite his blistering start to life at Madrid since arriving this summer, has had a far more modest 2022-23 campaign than Musiala. He had 14 goals and seven assists in 42 games across competitions and didn't win any silverware.

However, voters seemingly were afflicted by the recency bias, with the 20-year-old striking 13 times and asssting thrice in 13 games across competitions for Los Blancos this season.

Musiala finishing below the Real Madrid midfielder didn't amuse fans, with one imploring 'real experts' to vote:

"Should be ahead of Bellingham. But these journalists obviously never watched the Bundesliga to know this….Change the voting system, and let real experts decide!"

Another chimed in:

"No wayyy. He’s actually clear of Bellingham"

The Ballon d'Or award is currently voted by a group of 100 journalists handpicked by FIFA from the top 100 ranked nations.

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Lionel Messi is the reported 2023 Ballon d'Or winner, beating the likes of Jude Bellingham

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi has won the 2023 Ballon d'Or award, as per GOAL. The 36-year-old has reportedly beaten Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and his former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe to the prestigious accolade.

The record seven-time Ballon d'Or winner played a key role in Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph in Qatar. He bagged seven goals and three assists in as many games, scoring in all four knockout outings, including a brace in the final against France.

Messi also had a decent 2022-23 season with PSG, bagging 21 goals and 22 assists across competitions, winning his second straight Ligue 1 title. Meanwhile, Haaland - despite scoring an impressive 52 times in City's historic 2022-23 continental treble-winning season - has seemingly fallen short of the top prize.

Lionel Messi's reported eighth Ballon d'Or win puts him three clear of the next most successful player in award history, Cristiano Ronaldo, who won his fifth in 2017.

As per the aforementioned GOAL list, Bellingham finished 11th in the final voting.