Dani Alves surprisingly disagrees with Messi being 2021 Ballon d'Or winner

Dani Alves has questioned the decision to crown Lionel Messi as the winner of this year's Ballon d'Or gong.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward scooped the 2021 accolade on Monday evening to bring his personal tally of awards up to seven.

The two stars played alongside each other at Barcelona between 2008 and 2016, where they won an eye-catching 23 trophies together - just shy of three per season.

Alves and Messi share a close relationship away from the pitch too thanks to their time together at the Camp Nou and their multiple meetings across South American international games.

Yet the Brazilian - who returned to Barca earlier this month as he became the first signing of new boss Xavi Hernandez - would not have awarded Messi this year's title.

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Alves went down a different route and believes this year's winner should not have been one of the world's truly elite players.

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho - who won both the Champions League and European Championships - had valid arguments for a gong, but Alves wanted different criteria to measure greatness.

He instead looked back to the harrowing Euro 2020 incident which saw Denmark playmaker Christian Eriksen collapse on the pitch before receiving urgent resuscitation from medics.

The Brazilian insisted that it was important that football recognised the event and he believed that it transcended anything else that happened on the pitch due to Eriksen's recovery and the context in which it occurred.

Alves said after the awards: "I think that Messi is a big candidate for the Ballon d'Or.

"He has [registered] all the figures to make it another time.

"But, to be honest, this year for me all the individual awards should have been handed to Eriksen because we have to send a message to the world that life is more important than football.

"And when one person comes back as he did, after all the things we've been through with COVID-19 that is ongoing and all this issue.

"I think that we can send a message to everyone that there are things which are more important than sport."

Monday night's title means that Messi moves on to seven individual Ballon d'Or awards - a year in which he landed his first international title as Argentina lifted the Copa America and one which saw his first ever transfer.

Alves said on Messi following his Camp Nou exit: "I'm very sorry for Messi and for Barça, but sometimes in life there are cycles that have to be closed.

"Messi will continue to be Messi and Barca will continue to be Barca, but a little less special."

The two players currently have won more titles than anyone else in football with Alves on 42 crowns and Messi racking up 36 during his senior career.