Team of 2021: L'Equipe snubs Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

The French newspaper has not included the two superstars in their Team of the Year.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both moved to new teams in the summer of 2021. Messi left Barcelona after 21 years to join Paris Saint-Germain while Ronaldo returned to Manchester United after 12 years.

Since joining their new teams, Ronaldo quickly re-established himself as a key player at Manchester United. Messi, however, has struggled to reach top form at the French side. Nonetheless, the Argentine clinched the seventh Ballon d’Or of his career after beating Robert Lewandowski in a close race.

However, Ronaldo and Messi’s performances have not convinced L’Equipe to place them in their Team of the Year. On the other hand, the newspaper has recognized Mohamed Salah’s great form. The Egyptian star missed out on FIFA’s World XI of 2021. However, he is one of the seven Premier League players on L’Equipe’s list.

With three players, Chelsea have the most players on the list. Eduard Mendy, who finished behind Gianluigi Donnarumma for the Yashin award, is named as the team’s goalkeeper. Another interesting choice is the presence of Theo Hernandez, who was key to AC Milan’s great form last season.

Let’s take a look at L’Equipe’s Team of the Year.