Few things will have made football fans feel stranger than seeing Lionel Messi wearing any other club shirt than that of Barcelona.
That is what happened in 2021 though, when the legendary Argentine made the move to Paris Saint-Germain due to the financial mess at the Camp Nou.
What could be stranger than that? Perhaps a Ballon d'Or shortlist of 30 names being released and not seeing Messi's among them?
On Friday, that once ludicrous suggestion became reality as the nominees for the 2022 award were announced in batches of five, only the familiar mention of the seven-time winner never came.
Of course, it was not especially a surprise. Messi struggled to make an impact at PSG after his free transfer to the Parc des Princes, scoring just six goals in 26 Ligue 1 games as his new team eased to the title, and a further five in seven Champions League outings.
By comparison, Messi won last year's Ballon d'Or after scoring 30 goals in 35 LaLiga games in 2020-21, as well as three in the Copa del Rey and five in the Champions League for Barca.
It still feels odd to see his name omitted, and Stats Perform has taken a trip down memory lane and looked at the last time Messi was not shortlisted for the prestigious award, all the way back in 2005.
The master before the apprentice
Before Messi, there was Ronaldinho, a player so captivating in 2005 he even earned a standing ovation at the Santiago Bernabeu from the Real Madrid fans for his performance in El Clasico.
The Brazilian consistently wowed the crowds with his skill paired with dribbling prowess and the ability to change a game all on his own.
Unlike Messi, Ronaldinho did not earn plaudits for scoring incredible numbers of goals, more that he was generally a scorer of beautiful goals in important moments. Across league and Champions League, he scored 13 goals and recorded eight assists in 42 games for Barca in 2004-05.
That season saw him star for Barca as he won his first LaLiga title, which included providing an assist as a very young Messi scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete.
Although Champions League glory would elude him until 2006, Ronaldinho still managed to make a mark even in Barca's first knockout round exit to Chelsea in 2005 as he scored both goals in the 4-2 second leg defeat at Stamford Bridge, including a delightful toe poke that flew past Petr Cech.
For a player of his undoubted ability, it was a surprise that this was Ronaldinho's only Ballon d'Or, with Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro winning in 2006, Milan maestro Kaka doing so in 2007 and Cristiano Ronaldo lifting the first of many in 2008, starting the era of dominance between him and Messi.
Two lions unable to roar to success
Not all that far behind Ronaldinho in the voting back in 2005 were England midfield pair Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.
The Barca man had received 50 votes in all, with Lampard second on 45 and Gerrard third on 39, though the Brazilian was significantly ahead of his two rivals in terms of those who voted him first (with voters marking down their top five in order).
It had been an excellent year for both Lampard and Gerrard though, with the former a key part of Jose Mourinho's dominant Chelsea who not only won the Premier League at a canter, securing 95 points and finishing 12 ahead of second-place Arsenal, but also dumped Barcelona out of the Champions League.
However, they in turn were eliminated from the competition in the semi-finals by Gerrard and Liverpool, who went on to lift the cup in Istanbul after a dramatic win on penalties against Milan in the final.
Had it been the modern day, in all likelihood, Gerrard would have received the most votes given the emphasis placed on winning the Champions League in recent years.
The Reds captain was a force of nature in 2004-05, dragging Liverpool through several games on his own though, like Ronaldinho, had not been a very regular scorer, only netting seven goals and four assists in 30 Premier League games, and Rafael Benitez's side finished a disappointing fifth.
Lampard was more of a net botherer though, scoring 13 goals and recording an impressive 18 assists in 38 league games for the Blues on their march to the title.
Funnily enough, Gerrard and Lampard will face each other as managers on Saturday as Aston Villa host Everton in the Premier League.
The little engine that would
Little did the game know what was about to hit it.
When Messi scored that goal against Albacete on May 1, 2005, it was the birth of a figure who would go on to become arguably the greatest footballer of all time.
It must be said that the last time Messi was not on what was then a 50-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or, he was just 18 years old, and had been just 17 when he netted his first goal for Barca.
For the remainder of the year, Messi set about establishing himself as a key part of Barca's attack alongside Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o under the coaching of Frank Rijkaard.
Messi scored six goals in 17 LaLiga appearances for the Blaugrana in 2005-06, as well as notching his first Champions League goal in a 5-0 win over Panathinaikos at the Camp Nou.
In 2006, he was tied 20th in the voting for the Ballon d'Or and the rest, as they say, is history.
Don't bet against seeing his name back on the shortlist in 2023, having already scored three goals in his first two games for PSG this season.
There is also a World Cup on the horizon, after all.
AC Milan see off Lazio with stylish second-half performance
AC Milan turned on the second-half style to record an impressive 2-0 Serie A victory over Lazio.
Christian Pulisic and Noah Okafor were on target to finally end stubborn Lazio resistance at the San Siro, but Rafael Leao was the star attraction in a commanding performance.
Leao set up both Pulisic and Okafor – and the Portugal winger now has 72 goal contributions since joining Milan in 2019.
Felipe Anderson and Valentin Castellanos had half-chances for Lazio during a first period that took some time to burst into life.
But Lazio, who kept Ciro Immobile until the final 15 minutes, were largely toothless up front.
Milan lost Ruben Loftus-Cheek – who had scored his first goal for the Rossoneri against Cagliari in midweek – to an early injury but gained momentum as the contest moved past the half-hour mark.
Leao saw his near-post effort from a tight angle saved by Ivan Provedel in the Lazio goal.
The deadlock was almost broken on the stroke of half-time after Olivier Giroud brought Provedel into action again.
Provedel could not hold the shot and the loose ball fell to Tijjani Reijnders, who took it around the goalkeeper but, off balance, back-heeled it against the outside of a post.
Milan really upped the tempo after the break and took a deserved lead after an hour.
Leao surged down the left and his cut-back found Pulisic unmarked on the penalty spot.
The American’s shot had enough to get past Provedel for his third goal of the season, although the goalkeeper got a hand to the effort.
Provedel distinguished himself by saving from Yunus Musah after the American had brought the ball down and fired goalwards in one sharp movement.
Reijnders fired into the side netting before Milan put the issue beyond doubt two minutes from time.
Leao was again the instigator with another excellent run and cross which allowed Okafor to convert with a simple tap-in.
It was Okafor’s second Milan goal after his first for the club in the 3-1 win at Cagliari.
Lazio were denied a spectacular consolation in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Spanish substitute Pedro sent a 25-yard shot into the top corner of Mike Maignan’s net.
The officials had spotted an offside in the build-up and there was to be no joy for Lazio after a VAR check.
This was Milan’s third successive league win, while Lazio’s season has yet to get going after this fourth defeat in seven games.
Man City failed to execute their ‘process’ in defeat at Wolves – Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola said Manchester City failed to properly execute their “process” and was keen to praise Wolves after his side’s 100 per cent start to their Premier League title defence ended with a 2-1 loss at Molineux.
City went into the contest looking to make it seven league victories at the start of a campaign for the first time.
But the treble-winners were condemned to defeat by Hwang Hee-chan’s 66th-minute finish, eight minutes after an early Ruben Dias own goal had been cancelled out by Julian Alvarez’s free-kick.
City boss Guardiola, who watched from the stands as he served a one-match ban for picking up three yellow cards, said: “Congratulations Wolves, they defended really well.
“We had our moments. We didn’t do properly our process, to attack (with) a little bit more fluidity and that’s why we struggled a little bit.
“And the transitions – (Pedro) Neto (who was key for the first goal) was better than us, so they beat us in that situation.
“When they defend that well, (Mateo) Kovacic or Ruben has to attack central defenders of the opponents and we didn’t do it, that was why it was more difficult.
“The opponent played really good, defended really well, and after, when they contact with the players up front, they had the ability to keep it and drive and dribble and drop you. They are so strong.
“Today some details didn’t happen, because it’s football, because the players, it happens, maybe I apply bad some decisions, I don’t know.”
City’s starting line-up included Matheus Nunes, signed from Wolves last month, with it reported that he had stopped training with the midlands outfit ahead of the move.
The Portuguese was the subject of boos and chants from the crowd during the first half before being brought off at the interval for Oscar Bobb.
Guardiola said, when asked why he had made the change: “I needed more dynamic. Oscar is really good to find in small spaces, the creativity he has.
“That was the reason why – not because he wasn’t playing not good at all. It’s just because I thought Oscar could give us something different.”
On having to watch from the stands, Guardiola said: “The view is perfect. The problem is when you are banned and you are in the hotel. But they allow you to be here…in the Champions League it cannot happen.
“I spoke before the game, half-time and after the game. During the game you can be involved in something, but not much.”
Coventry boss Mark Robins: Ellis Simms’ double will ‘do him the world of good’
Coventry boss Mark Robins believes Ellis Simms’ two goals for the club in a 3-1 win at QPR can be a turning point for the striker.
Simms, signed from Everton during the summer, had failed to score for the Sky Blues but got off the mark in a resounding victory at Loftus Road, where Josh Eccles also netted for the visitors.
Robins said: “The two goals scored by Ellis were brilliant. He got the first one – and he needed that chance – and connected with it brilliantly.
“His other goal was fantastic. Jamie Allen has guided it in and you can’t underestimate the finish.
“The first goal has given him the confidence to finish the second one. If it happens the other way around I don’t know if he does it – he’s capable, but a bit of doubt creeps in.
“He’s been desperate to score and it’s taken nine for him to get on the scoresheet, but that will do him the world of good.
“All it is is a bit of confidence and that should give him a load of it. He’s going to be a really good player.”
City took control by scoring three times in the space of 12 minutes in the second half.
It meant a superb save by keeper Ben Wilson in the first half proved to be crucial, having pushed away a header from QPR striker Lyndon Dykes during the hosts’ best spell of the game.
“He’s done what he’s paid for – he’s made a really good save. It was a good header, in fairness,” Robins said.
“QPR threw everything at us. It was a good win and a welcome win. If you can get that win it can start to build momentum and confidence and that’s important.”
QPR boss Gareth Ainsworth was furious that two crucial refereeing decisions went against his team.
Ainsworth felt Simms’ opening goal should have been disallowed for offside and, shortly after the second goal, Rangers were incensed when they were not awarded a penalty despite Sinclair Armstrong being upended by Wilson.
Ainsworth said: “The officiating today, in my opinion, wasn’t good enough for the Championship. There was an offside goal and an absolute stonewall penalty.
“I’ve been in to see the officials and they know (the decisions were wrong). They’ve almost apologised and that’s great, but that doesn’t change the result.
“I’m gutted at my lads seeming to collapse. Maybe the offside goal really dented them, but we were then wide open on two counter-attacks for the other two goals.
“But at 2-0, Sinclair’s penalty is a stonewaller and if that gets us back in the game then I think we go on and get something.”
Rangers, who were among the pre-season favourites for relegation, have won just once at home in almost a year.
“I’m not stupid – a 3-1 defeat at home is not good enough. I’m sure the haters will be out there loving this one, but there’s a bit more of a story to it,” Ainsworth said.
“But we’ve got to be better at home. We’ve got to put away the chances that we had in the first half.
“We were the better team in the first half and for all the world I didn’t see that coming in the second half. But we have to test their keeper more.
“We haven’t looked threatening enough. After all the territory and all the possession we must be better than that going forward.
“We didn’t take our chances and that was the story of the game, although the officials played a big part too.”
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