Arsenal legend Ian Wright names the 2 players who deserved 2021 Ballon d'Or Ahead of Lionel Messi

• Lionel Messi winning the 2021 Ballon d'Or award is still generating mixed reactions among football fans around the world
• Former Arsenal star Ian Wright has now explained that there would not have been controversy if Salah or Lewandowski had won it
• Salah, who is the current highest goal scorer in the Premier League finished as seventh-best on the 2021 Ballon d'Or list

Ian wright has explained that there would have been less controversy had Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah or Robert Lewandowski won the 2021 Ballon d'Or and not Lionel Messi of PSG.

Football fans around the world continued to voice out their displeasure on Messi winning the 2021 Ballon d'Or ahead of Lewandowski.

Salah was certainly in contention for the prestigious prize thanks to his incredible performances so far this season for Liverpool.

Apart from being the current top scorer in the Premier League, the Egyptian also has the highest number of assists so far this term.

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According to the report on HITC, Ian wright stated that he was expecting Mo Salah to be crowned the winner of the 2021 Ballon d'Or.

Ian Wright's reaction to 2021 Ballon d'Or

“I thought Mo Salah deserved to win it really, I was shocked that he didn’t get top three at least,”

''If it was Salah or Lewandowski, I don’t think anyone would have gone ‘oh my gosh’ Messi should have won it," he added.

Incredibly, Salah could only manage a seventh-place finish of the power rankings, with Man United ace Cristiano Ronaldo finishing ahead of him in sixth.

Lewandowski was placed second, with Chelsea midfielder Jorginho completing the top three podium after a stellar 2021 for both club and country.

Jorginho won the Champions League with the Blues before helping Italy conquer Europe to win the Euro 2020.

Pep Guardiola blasts Leo Messi's critics

TUKO.co.ke earlier reported that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has expressed disappointment at critics who claim Lionel Messi should not have been awarded the 2021 Ballon d’Or.

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France Football had, on Monday, November 29, handed Messi his seventh Ballon d'Or award, a decision that has generated a lot of controversies among football fans.

However, Guardiola, who managed the Argentine legend during their time at Spanish club Barcelona insisted that no one can say it was unfair that the award went to Messi.