The 2019 Ballon d’Or vote was always unfairly weighted towards Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, says Demba Ba, with the former Chelsea striker saying his fellow Sengalese Sadio Mane was a more deserving winner.
A star turn on Liverpool’s books enjoyed a memorable 2018-19 campaign which delivered a Champions League crown and Premier League Golden Boot.
Mane was, however, to only finish fourth in the battle for a prestigious Golden Ball.
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Ba believes his countryman would have been overlooked even if his statistics had been swapped with Messi, with top individual honours having become more of a popularity contest than a reflection of form.