France Football have explained their reason for not including defending champion Lionel Messi on this year's Ballon d'Or shortlist.
It was touch and go if Messi, 35, was going to make the 30-man shortlist for the men's award. The Argentina international experienced an indifferent first season at Paris Saint-Germain, winning the Ligue 1 title but struggling to replicate his form in front of goal.
Messi scored just 11 goals for PSG, his worst return since the 2005/06 campaign. In comparison, the forward found the net 38 times during his final season at Barcelona. But he's made a good start to the current season, scoring three goals in his first two games.
