Zlatan Ibrahimovic names player who deserved Ballon d'Or 2021 other than Lionel Messi

In Paris on Monday night, Lionel Messi was awarded football's most prestigious award, his record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or. The Argentine legend managed to garner more votes than Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho who finished second and third respectively. However, there are a few former and current players and coaches who feel that the Argentine sensation should not have been awarded this year's Ballon d'Or, including Toni Kroos, Iker Casillas, Lothar Matthaus, Oliver Kahn and Jurgen Klopp, and now Messi's former teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic's name is also added to that list.

When asked about his relationship with Messi, Ibra replied saying that they have a professional relationship, he further added that Messi 'lives' for football but that this year the Argentine superstar did not deserve the Ballon d'Or but instead Lewandowski did. Zlatan said: "A professional one. Leo lives for football. But Robert Lewandowski deserved the Ballon d'Or this year."

Messi wins Ballon d'Or; Kroos says 'not deserved', Klopp says Lewandowski deserved it more

After the decision was announced, Toni Kroos said that Messi did not deserve the award. He added that while Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the best players over the last decade, this year there were other players who deserved it more. Kroos said on his podcast: “It is absolutely not deserved. There is no doubt that Messi, with Cristiano, has been the player of the last decade, but this year there should've been others ahead of him." 

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp also did not believe that Messi should have been awarded the Ballon d'Or this season and echoed the words of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to say that Lewandowski deserved the award this time around.

"Do not ask me, it’s your fault then!" Klopp joked when initially asked about the results by one reporter in a press conference as quoted by the Daily Mail. "If you think he should be higher up then you should convince your colleagues. You can always give it to Lionel Messi for the career he has had and the footballer he is but if you don’t give it Lewandowski this time then it’s quite tricky to get it at all. Yes, Mo should definitely have been higher up," Klopp said.

Image: AP/@FranceFootball/Twitter