France Football coach Didier Deschamps continued to question the integrity of the criteria for the Golden Ball presented by France Football magazine, raising a surprise about the award that was recently crowned by Argentine legend Lionel Messi for the eighth time in his history.
Deschamps told the French channel TF1 that, “In 2018, Griezmann deserved to win the Ballon d’Or, because of his career and achievements,” adding: “In all sincerity and honesty, I see that Griezmann does not get the appreciation he deserves.”
Griezmann had won the European League and European Super League titles with Atletico Madrid and lifted the “France 2018” World Cup with the French national team. That season, he scored 36 goals in all competitions in 2018, but he did not get the Golden Ball.
Griezmann came in third place in 2018, behind Luka Modric, the Real Madrid star who won the award, and Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo.
Not only did Deschamps defend Griezmann, but he also attacked journalists and accused them of “betrayal of trust” for not choosing Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe among the top three ballot papers for the 2023 Ballon d’Or, which went to Messi. He was succeeded by Norwegian Erling Haaland, Manchester City’s top scorer, and then Mbappe, who was affected by the lack of… Some chose him among the top three on voting papers.
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