Lionel Messi had to be content with a runners-up spot in the 2021 FIFA Best Men's Player awards on Monday night as Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski scooped top prize.
Two months earlier, the Argentine pipped the Pole to land his record-breaking seventh Ballon d'Or title as he landed the 2021 accolade.
The Ballon d’Or voting prompted criticism from multiple football legends who believed that Lewandowski should not have been overlooked.
Things have not gone to plan for Messi since his high-profile summer transfer to PSG from Barcelona – he has found the net just once in Ligue 1 and suffered from injury problems.
However, Messi scored 38 goals in 47 games last season in what proved to be his final season at Barcelona before winning the Copa America (where he was top scorer and top assister) with Argentina – his first international title.
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After pipping Lewandowski to the Ballon d’Or crown in November, Messi directly addressed the Poland international to insist that his counterpart was unfortunate not to have received the crown previously.
Messi said at the event: “Robert, you deserve your Ballon D'Or. Last year, everyone was in agreement to say that you were the big winner of this award.
“Hopefully France Football will give you the 2020 Ballon d'Or. We all believe you deserved it and I hope you can have it at home.”
Lewandowski later clarified that he did not believe the words were insincere and played down suggestions there was any rivalry between the two that was not purely sporting.
He insisted: "I never said that Lionel Messi's words were not sincere.
"On the contrary: Lionel Messi's speech at the event in Paris, in which he expressed that, in his opinion, I deserved the Ballon d'Or 2020, was very kind.
"With my statement, I just wanted to express that I would of course be very happy if Messi's words were heard.
"I respect and appreciate Lionel Messi beyond measure and once again I would like to congratulate him on winning the Ballon d'Or 2021."
Messi then made a gesture on Monday that poured cold water on any talks of a rivalry between the two by watching the entire ceremony, even when he knew he would not win the top prize.
Players are aware of the winner in advance of the official announcement but the Argentine superstar watched the entire ceremony from his iPad from his home in Paris.
With Messi present on a video stream throughout the event, the 34-year-old did not once leave his seat during the ceremony as he wished to show respect to the Bayern Munich striker and the other event winners.
Lewandowski has now surpassed Messi in FIFA’s The Best titles – the Poland international has now won the gong in 2020 and 2021, with Messi’s sole title coming in 2019 of the award that began in 2016.
