Nominated for the player of the year award is Messi’s PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe, the top scorer in Ligue 1 with 24 goals so far this season, Rennes’ Martin Terrier, AS Monaco’s Wissam Ben Yedder, Marseille’s Dimitri Payet, and Lyon’s Lucas Paqueta.
That also means that PSG forward Neymar, the league’s player of the year in 2017-18, has also failed to make the shortlist.
PSG wrapped up its 10th league title — and eighth from the past 10 seasons alone — last month and is currently 14 points clear of second-placed Marseille.
Messi signed a two-year contract with PSG ahead of the 2021/22 season, ending his 20-plus-year association with Barcelona. In his time with the club, he won 10 La Liga titles and was named the league’s player of the year nine times.
In this season’s Champions League, Messi recorded five goals in seven games, although PSG’s campaign ended in the round of 16 with defeat against Real Madrid.
The player of the season, which Mbappe has won the last two occasions, is scheduled to be announced on May 15.