SCORENigeria Publisher Samm Audu picked Lionel Messi for his record-extending seventh Ballon d’Or.
Samm Audu, who has represented Nigeria for several years in this vote, was again one of 170 top journalists from around the world who chose the winners of the prestigious annual awards by France Football Magazine for the best players in world football.
Messi received 613 points to beat Bayern Munich and Poland star striker Robert Lewandowski, who got 580 points.
Five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo was a distant sixth with 178 points.
PSG star Messi led Argentina to win the Copa America in the year under review and carried a struggling Barcelona.
He has now won the gong in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012,2015, 2019 and 2021.
The awards was not staged last year because of the Coronavirus Pandemic which cut short football calendars across the world.