[ad_1]
Chelsea star Jorginho has snubbed Lionel Messi and instead named two other players he would back to win this year’s Ballon d’Or. Messi has won the individual accolade six times – more than any other player in the award’s history.
Jorginho is among the favourites to land this year’s award, although the race for the trophy appears to be a two-way battle between Messi and Robert Lewandowski.
Messi struck 28 goals for Barcelona in the first half of this calendar year, before departing the club in the summer to join Paris Saint-Germain.
The forward also tasted success with Argentina after helping his country win the Copa America in July – a tournament at which he scored four goals.
It was that form that explains why Messi is the odds-on favourite to win the Ballon d’Or – his displays for PSG have been unremarkable and he has only scored three goals in eight appearances for the French side.
JUST IN: Man Utd players stunned by ‘unexpected’ Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decision
With Messi failing to impress in France, Jorginho said he would vote for Chelsea team-mate N’Golo Kante or Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne to win the award if he was involved in the selection process.
“I would vote in the Ballon d’Or for Kante or De Bruyne,” Jorginho admitted.
“Talking to other defenders from big teams, De Bruyne requires much more attention than players that win every year the prize.”
The two Premier League stars are both on the shortlist of 30 for the award but are considered as outsiders to land the trophy.
Kante has starred for Chelsea this year and was instrumental during his team’s Champions League endeavours last season.
Jorginho, meanwhile, will be hoping to pull-off a huge shock by winning the Ballon d’Or at the ceremony in Paris on November 29.
After the midfielder tasted club success in the Champions League, he lifted the Euro 2020 trophy with Italy six weeks later.
The 29-year-old played in all seven of his country’s matches throughout the tournament as they defeated England in the final at Wembley after a penalty shootout.
[ad_2]
